


The Glass Slipper

by EJDaniels



Series: Fairy Tale Arc [2]
Category: Maria-sama ga Miteru
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-28
Updated: 2014-02-07
Packaged: 2018-01-10 09:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 35,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1158181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EJDaniels/pseuds/EJDaniels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the sequel to Cinderella. An altered retelling of the events from Season 1 & 2 leading up to and including the time of the graduation of the Roses. Please read Cinderella first if you haven't already.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act I

As Yumi stepped off of the bus she reflected briefly upon the events that had led her here this day.

"Yumi, phone," Yuuki called from downstairs to his sister. "Hurry up, it sounds like she's on a public phone," he added up the stairs at his older sister.

 _Who would be calling me from a public phone_ , Yumi wondered as she walked over to the phone in her room and lifted the receiver from the it, placing it to her ear just in time to hear the receiver from downstairs hang up.

"Was that your brother," asked an inquisitive female voice on the other end of the line.

For a long moment the voice didn't register in her head. "Yes. He's being his usual cheeky self," Yumi replied as her brain continued to process the voice she was hearing.

"He's only a few months younger than you right," the caller asked in a voice Yumi knew she should recognize yet couldn't readily place.

"Yes, about six actually," Yumi responded with to answer as she mentally flipped through all the usual voices she associated with on a regular basis. There was considerable back ground noise, as if the caller was using a public phone however it wasn't loud enough to indicate that she was at a train station of something of that nature.

"He sounds nice enough on the phone," the girl said in an off-handed tone of voice.

"If you say so but you're not the one that has to live with him," Yumi replied into the receiver. It was rare for anyone to call her at home, even rarer for them to do so after eight o'clock at night.

"I'm an only child, Rei-chan aside, so I've always found siblings to be so interesting. I'm very jealous of you Yumi-san," the caller stated in a wistful tone before continuing. "Gomen for calling you out of the blue Yumi-san," the girl on the phone said, "I would really like to see you though."

The last piece of the puzzle clicked into place as Yumi heard the caller's words. "Yoshino-san are you alright," Yumi asked as the girl on the other end of the phone had been out of school for nearly the entire week.

"I'm fine," Yoshino assured her. "Will you come and see me, Yumi-san?"

It had been a terribly rough week for Yumi. The article in the Lillian Kawaraban that had appeared a few days after the fall festival had been kind enough in what it said and didn't say. The article itself simply stated that Sachiko-sama and herself had determined they were not compatible at this time and had decided to go their separate ways. Yumi knew that if not Sachiko-sama, then the Yamayurikai in general had a hand in the wording of the article. Still, just the fact that she was no longer the Petite Sœur of Sachiko-sama was enough to make her the target of hostile comments from some of the students at school. It was bad enough to have even become Sachiko-sama's Petite Sœur in the first place when there were so many others more deserving and better suited, yet to then end it after only two weeks. Many of the students and even her friends thought she was not right in the head for having done so. A result of her actions, or perhaps more appropriately a side effect of them, was that others were suddenly reassessing their relationships with their Onee-sama's. There were even cases where rosaries had been returned just as she had done. It had never been her intentions for that to happen and she personally felt terrible for having caused such a commotion. "Where have you been all week, Yoshino-san?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. "I've been at the hospital having examinations done," Yoshino finally replied. "It's nothing serious," she quickly added before Yumi could worry. "It's actually one of the things I want to talk to you about," The girl with matching braids stated. "Will you come and see me tomorrow, Yumi-san?"

"Examinations?" Yumi inquired concerned for the other girl. Though they had only been together in the Yamayurikai for a couple of weeks, there was a budding friendship between the two of them that Yumi desperately wanted to keep. In part, it was Yumi's last remaining tie to that precious two weeks she had lived out her dream but also she felt a growing affection for the small girl on the other end of the phone. Yumi had learned that due to Yoshino's illness and missing school very often that it had been hard for her to make and maintain any friendships. As she was limited in what she could do, she didn't participate in any clubs and hence was without a truly close friend. Yumi's heart went out to the smaller girl upon learning this. She was determined to remain friends with Yoshino no matter what!

"Blood tests, electro cardiographs and such," Yoshino explained as if she was talking about the weather rather than something important such as exams that could only be done in a hospital. Having been in and out of the hospital most of her life such things were common place to her way of thinking. To Yumi's worried filled mind it sounded as if the other girl was near death.

"So you are sick then," Yumi said in a hesitant voice fearful of the answer yet needing to know it as well. It was like driving past a car accident; you couldn't help but look even if you really didn't want to.

"No, no, it's nothing like that," Yoshino tried to reassure the other girl upon hearing the concern in her voice. "Actually, it's a bit hard to talk about over the phone," she finally admitted. "I really want to see Yumi-san!" Upon hearing this Yumi couldn't say no and after taking down the directions to the hospital where Yoshino was at they ended the call.

Yumi glanced up at the hospital once she stepped off the bus and then strode forth with a purpose while clasping the bouquet of flowers she had brought with her. _Yoshino wanted to see me._ After a miserable week knowing that someone wanted to see her warmed her heart, if even just a little bit. It had been a miserable week, probably the worst week she had ever had she thought. Between the harassment from the students and second guessing her convictions concerning her own decision to return Sachiko-sama's rosary Yumi's insides were tied in knots. Visiting Yoshino in the hospital she hoped would be a good distraction from her own problems. Upon reaching the correct room she read the name plate and then knocked upon the door. "Excuse me," she said before she opened the door to enter.

Yoshino looked up from the book she was reading and smiled upon seeing the other girl. "Yumi-san!" Yoshino set her book aside and turned back to face Yumi. "Are those for me," she asked indicating the flowers which were a mixture of different yellow roses. "They're beautiful but you didn't have to bring anything, Yumi-san."

Yumi crossed the room so Yoshino could see the flowers better. The local florist had helped her pick them out as she had never visited anyone in the hospital before and didn't know what to bring. "I know, but I wanted to bring you something to brighten your room up," Yumi said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I always think of hospital rooms as being too sterile and colorless," Yumi explained looking around at the private room with its white walls and ceiling and light colored tiled flooring as if proving her point. "I thought some color might be an improvement," she concluded with as she walked over to the sink area and found a vase underneath it. Yumi filled the vase with water and then arranges the flowers in it carefully to make them look as beautiful as possible. Carrying them over to the window she placed them on the windowsill so they could get plenty of sunlight.

"Arigato, Yumi-san," Yoshino said with a warm smile. "I'm sorry for taking up your Sunday like this."

"Oh don't worry about that," Yumi replied waving one hand in the air as if batting aside Yoshino's concerns over something so trivial. The truth of the matter was that Yumi was so please by the fact that Yoshino actually wanted to see her that losing a Sunday _was_ something trivial to her. She had realized that upon returning Sachiko-sama's rosary she may never be able to spend time with the members of the Yamayurikai again. Though she had told herself that would be alright, in her heart it had pained her to lose the friends she had just made. That was why Yoshino wishing to see her meant so much to her. "We've never met before outside of school have we," Yumi asked as she took a seat in the chair next to the bed.

"It seems a bit odd," Yoshino replied looking over what each girl was wearing and sharing a grin as Yumi did the same. "Neither of us being in uniform and all," she explained. "Still, I'm glad you're here."

"So…how is she," Yumi dared to finally ask, dropping her eyes to the hands in her lap. Yumi realized that neither of them would be able to focus on anything else till they had talked about this.

"Sachiko-sama was a mess on Monday when I was there," Yoshino said with a heavy sigh recalling the sad event. "I've never seen her so…so…fire up and full of energy."

"Huh?" Yumi exclaimed looking up sharply at the girl sitting in the bed, completely confused by the other girls conflicting words.

Yoshino couldn't help but chuckle upon seeing the different emotions filtering across Yumi's face. "Sachiko-sama doesn't like to show her emotions," Yoshino tried to explain it as Rei had explained it to her. "The more something bothers her the more she'll strive to hide it by making it appear as if nothing is wrong."

"Is that so," Yumi said as she pondered the other girl's words. So by appearing as being all fired up Sachiko-sama must be hiding something very painful if Yumi were to follow Yoshino's logic. This both thrill and saddened Yumi to equal degrees. On one count it pleased to her to know that she was possibly more than just some girl Sachiko-sama had run into at the proper time and place when she needed someone. A spark of hope blossomed in her heart that maybe she did actually mean something to the Rosa Chinensis en Bouton. It also saddened her as she didn't like to think of the older girl as being in pain and to know that she was the cause of it. _I never meant for Sachiko-sama to suffer. I only want her to find a little sister that is better suited for her than I ever could be_ , Yumi told herself.

"Even the Roses are concerned about her," Yoshino added to assure her that she wasn't mistaken about Sachiko-sama. "Rei-chan said they think she is working herself too hard. That just goes to show you how deeply it affected her." Yoshino could clearly see the conflicting emotions as they played across Yumi's face. While the petite girl's heart went out to the brunette she realized that it was a matter between Yumi-san and Sachiko-sama and only they could resolve it.

"I…I didn't mean for her to do that," Yumi stammered feeling even worse after hearing the other girls words. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen." _Did I really do the right thing_ , she asked herself for the countless time. Hearing how Sachiko-sama was taking this she was no longer as certain as she had been concerning her decision to return the older girl's rosary. _They probably all hate me now for what I am putting Sachiko-sama through._

Yoshino leaned forward and laid her hand over Yumi's where they rested in the brunette's lap. "I know you had your reasons for doing what you did, Yumi-san," she said giving Yumi's hand a gentle squeeze. "No matter what though, you and I are still friends, Yumi-san," Yoshino told her directly and with conviction. Yumi looked up sharply and peered into the face before hers as if questioning that she had heard correctly. "I'll support you in whatever you want to do, Yumi-san. That's what friends do for each other!"

"Really?" Yumi couldn't help but question, her brown eyes growing large with hope at the other girl's kind words. Yoshino just smiled and nodded. "I was so afraid that after what I did none of the Yamayurikai would want to have anything to do with me," Yumi confessed. "You're the first one to actually speak to me since then."

"Even a rabid dog knows better than to get between two Sœur's when they're fighting," Yoshino said with a soft chuckle.

"Former Sœur's," Yumi corrected her even though a small smile appeared on her face as she did so.

Yoshino acknowledged the correction with a slight tilting of her head in the other girl's direction. "I imagine that the newspaper club had a field day with this?"

"I think someone from the Yamayurikai stepped in," Yumi replied as she reached into her purse and pulled out the latest addition of the Lillian Kawaraban and passed it over to Yoshino.

The dark haired girl unfolded the paper and read the front headline. ' _ **Red Rose Rebellion**_ ' in large bold letters was splashed across an image of Sachiko-sama and Yumi with a jagged rip down the middle between the two of them. Yoshino read over the article quickly. "That certainly reads like Youko-sama's work," Yoshino finally said as she refolded the paper and handed it back towards Yumi.

"Keep it," Yumi said holding up a hand, palm facing outward towards Yoshino. "I brought that one for you as I have a copy of it at home already," she explained. "I never meant for any of this to happen," Yumi reiterated in a frustrated tone of voice. In a short amount of time Yumi conveyed what she had heard concerning others who were also dissolving their Sœur bonds because of her actions.

"There will always be those that want to be like others," Yoshino said to her friend. "In this case they want to be more like you, Yumi-san."

"Eh!" Yumi exclaimed taken by surprise at the other girls words once again. "Why would they ever want to be like me?"

Yoshino shrugged slightly causing the hospital gown she had draped over her cardigan to shift at a strange angle. "For a few weeks," Yoshino explained as she pulled the offending hospital gown back up and into place, "Yumi-san was Cinderella." Somehow Yumi knew she didn't mean the play. "You were the Petite Sœur of the Rosa Chinensis en Bouton and in direct line to becoming a Rose yourself one day. Whereas most girls our age dream of being social with the Yamayurikai, you actually were able to not only be social but also make friends with them. That alone would garnish you some fans I would think but then you went and gave it all up. Left to a young girl's imagination I am sure they have thought up all sorts of reasons for you to do this," Yoshino said sighing wistfully at her friend. "Your actions, with no clear reason for them, have probably been romanticized by some of the more silly girls at school," Yoshino concluded.

"Romanticized," a bewildered Yumi asked. "How could anyone ever possibly come to think that?" Even as she voiced her objections though she knew the truth of the other girls words.

"You appear out of nowhere and suddenly you're not only the Petite Sœur of Sachiko-sama, the Princess of Lillian but also the lead in the play. You are very much what they are calling you, Yumi-san." Yoshino informed her. Seeing the blank look upon Yumi's face Yoshino took pity on her. "They are referring to you as Lillian's Cinderella."

"Is that so…" Yumi replied, too stunned and amazed to say more than that.

"Arigato," Yoshino said refolding the newspaper and setting it aside next to a stack of books on the table next to her bed. "So," Yoshino opened with as she turned back to face her friend, "How is Yumi-san doing?"

Yumi took a deep breath and pasted a smile on her face as she let it out. "I'm fine. Once all the talk dies down and things return to normal I think everything will be back to the way it was before…it all started," was her reply. _Yoshino is in the hospital and I'm certain she didn't want to see a gloomy Yumi_ , she thought to herself. _I can put on a happy face for her while I'm here._ If Yumi had really thought about it she would have seen that she wasn't really certain how she was inside. There were moments when she doubted her decision and then others when she was once again certain it had been the right thing to do. Her entire week had been filled with second guessing herself. One moment she truly believed that Sachiko-sama needed…no deserved, a Petite Sœur as wonderful as Sachiko-sama was herself. The next moment she was calling herself baka for having returned the rosary. Internally she sighed to herself. _There's nothing I can do about it now. It's not like I can go ask for her rosary back!_

Yoshino cocked her head slightly to the side and regarded the girl with pigtails for several long moments. Yumi staunchly met her friends gaze determined not to give away any of the inner turmoil she was feeling. "Well, if you need someone to talk to please consider me, Yumi-san," Yoshino finally offered feeling she was not going to get anything further from the girl before her. "We're friends remember."

"I will," Yumi assured her. "So, did you truly miss me or was there something else that sparked your sudden desire to see me," Yumi asked feeling as if Yoshino had not as yet reached the real reason for calling her out upon such short notice.

"Both actually," Yoshino admitted with a guilty look upon her face. "I truly did want to see you, Yumi-san," she stated earnestly. "I've been worried about you all week and with not being in school I couldn't actually see how you were doing." Yumi was touched by the other girls concern which she heard clearly in Yoshino's words.

"I believe you," Yumi replied upon hearing the honesty in Yoshino words. "I can't help but feel there is something else bothering you as well though."

"I think there is something else I need to thank you for," Yoshino began. "The day I left school Rei-chan and I had a very bad argument."

"Is that so," Yumi interjected completely baffled why her friend would wish to thank her for a fight between Yoshino and her Grande Sœur.

"Did you read the previous edition of the Lillian Kawaraban," Yoshino asked. Upon seeing Yumi nod that she had she asked, "What did you think of it?"

"I thought you and Rei-sama made a perfect couple," Yumi truthfully answered. "I voted for the both of you," Yumi added blushing slightly at the admission.

"Arigato, Yumi-san," Yoshino stated with a thankful smile. "So nothing in the write up of Rei-chan and me struck you as odd?"

"Not really," Yumi replied, puzzled by Yoshino's line of questioning. "Should there have been?"

Yoshino nodded slightly to indicate that there should have been. "I'm certain that everyone at school would answer the same as you and just like you, they would be wrong."

"Waa?" Yumi exclaimed in a slightly louder tone of voice, surprised for the third time that day by the small girl in the hospital bed. _I hope this doesn't become a habit with our conversations. I'm not certain I can take so many surprises at once!_

"The personal information for us was switched," Yoshino informed her of finally. "Not the information that can be found in our school records such as our height or our blood type but rather what our personal interests are."

Yumi was completely flabbergasted by this revelation. "So you mean that Rei-sama likes …"

"Shoujo novels," Yoshino finished for her. "While Samurai novels such as the ones by Ikenami Shoutarou, are more to my liking," Yoshino informed her of while picking up the book she had previously set down and showing the cover to her so Yumi could see who the author was. Yumi found it difficult to believe that the shinai wielding Rei-sama preferred to wield a set of knitting needles at home. Yoshino pointed to the stack of paperback books on the table by her bed. "All of those are by him as well. I love almost all sports," Yoshino confessed. "Maybe because I can't play sports is why I love watching them so much," Yoshino reasoned aloud.

"So is that what you quarreled about then? That the newspaper club printed the wrong information," Yumi asked trying to understand what her friend was trying to tell her.

"Yes and no," Yoshino answered sitting back as a frustrated sigh escaped her lips. "People see Rei-chan as being strong. That's why the newspaper club misprinted the personal information," Yoshino explained. "The truth of the matter is that Rei-chan is very much a girl's girl and she falls apart whenever I'm not around. This is only because she has never had a time without me there. Rei-chan has a kendo match this Saturday," Yoshino continued to explain. "She was supposed to be at practice however when she learned that I was leaving school early she didn't go to practice as she wanted to be with me."

"That doesn't sound like a bad thing," Yumi interjected understanding how a person would rather be with the person they care about than a club event. Even though she herself had given Sachiko-sama her rosary back she still wanted to be around the older girl she adored.

"I agree however I was just coming in here for tests and there was nothing seriously wrong," Yoshino explained. "There really was no reason for her to miss her practice on my account." Yumi nodded, understanding what her friend was getting at. "When I asked her why she wasn't at practice she said she would rather be with me. I was so angry with her for skipping out on something I knew was so very important to her that I snapped," Yoshino continued to explain the events that occurred previously that week. "I was so furious that I almost gave back her rosary but I...," Yoshino trailed off.

"You saw how much my giving Sachiko-sama's rosary back affected her and you didn't want Rei-sama to feel that way," Yumi finished for her in a rare moment of brilliant clarity. Once again a pain of sorrow stabbed at her heart knowing she had caused Sachiko-sama to hurt.

Yoshino nodded to indicate that she was correct. "I don't think Rei-chan could have survived that. In a strange way I should thank you for what you did as it prevented me from devastating Rei-chan. She is an incredibly strong person but she uses me as a shield from having to be strong on her own. She is always more concerned about me and what I need rather than herself. I guess you can say that rather than being strong for herself she is strong for me. If she is always relying on helping me, what is she going to do when I'm gone?"

"Gone?" Yumi exclaimed suddenly fearing there might be something more to Yoshino being in the hospital than the other girl had told her. "Where are you going?" Even as she asked this her mind processed what Yoshino had said. While it is important to live for your own reasons Yumi didn't see anything wrong with wanting to be strong for another's sake. In a way she saw it as rather sweet that Rei loved Yoshino so much that she wanted to take care of her.

"Nowhere," Yoshino assured Yumi upon hearing the note of alarm in her voice. "Still, it is doubtful that Rei-chan and I will be together forever you realize? Rei needs to learn to do things not only on her own but also for herself. That is why I decided to have the operation on the same day that her kendo match is," Yoshino informed her of.

"Operation?" Yumi asked beginning to feel like a parrot repeating Yoshino's words back to her.

"That's what all the tests have been for this week," Yoshino explained. "I was born with a heart defect, a hole in one of the inner walls of my heart. The operation will go in and repair the defect. Usually you would have such an operation when you're a baby however I was not diagnosed till I was in elementary school. I've always been fearful of having the operation done and hence have staunchly refused to do it whenever it came up in conversation." Yoshino's voice trembled only slightly upon admitting this to her friend.

Yumi suddenly realized that while Yoshino may be strong in many ways, she was still just a teenage girl and the prospect of an operation on her heart was a frightening thing. "So why the sudden change," Yumi asked, curious as to her friends reasoning.

"I want Rei-chan to become stronger but I also want to become stronger for Rei-chan as well. In that manner she won't have to do as much for me and she'll have more time to do things for herself," Yoshino explained in a resolute tone of voice. "I want to be able to walk beside Rei as an equal partner. As it is now I am just a burden to her. She's taken care of me my entire life and I would like to be able to take care of her for a change. Not always," she quickly added, "as that would be just as bad. Still, I wish that Rei-chan could depend on me when she needed to. I don't want her to always have to be the strong one."

Yumi digested the other girl's words carefully. She could certainly understand how Yoshino was feeling though she doubted that Rei-sama would ever see the younger girl as a burden. Still, no one wanted to be a burden to another if they could help it. Much as she had returned Sachiko-sama's rosary because she was not good enough and to stay would be to unduly burden Sachiko-sama. Yumi nodded her head once to show that she understood. "How can I help," she asked.

"Arigato, Yumi-san!" Yoshino exclaimed. She had not been certain at all that Yumi would offer to help her. Truthfully she had not wanted to involve the other members of the Yamayurikai as she was certain they would have just told her to speak directly to Rei. "I need you to deliver a message to Rei-chan for me," Yoshino replied with a smile that lit up the entire room.


	2. Act II

Yumi arrived early the next day at school and made her way to the area where the second year student shoe lockers were located. After insuring there was no one around, mostly to avoid having to answer questions, she located Rei's shoe locker and slipped in a note requesting that Rei meet with her at the old greenhouse during the lunch break. With her message delivered safely Yumi went to her own shoe locker and after switching to her indoor shoes walked to her classroom and waited for the school day to begin. Several of her classmates gave her strange looks upon arriving and seeing her already seated at her desk. Yumi hoped they just thought that she was attempting to avoid the students who were angry with her by arriving earlier than usual.

As the class began Yumi suddenly wondered if Rei-sama would mention to Sachiko-sama about Yumi wanting to meet with her. _What would Sachiko-sama think? Perhaps she'd think I was trying to see if she was alright, but is that a bad thing?_ Yumi pondered this while trying to pay attention to the lesson at hand. _It's not like I hate her or anything._ Yumi recalled her final words to the woman she still idolized, ' _I am now and forever shall be your devoted fan_ ' she had told the older girl. _Fan's worry after those they cherish_ , she reasoned to herself. Try as she might the one remaining question that perhaps bothered her even more was what she would do if Sachiko-sama showed up at the old greenhouse where she had asked Rei-sama to meet her.

It was with more than a little trepidation that Yumi approached the old greenhouse after the lunch time bell had rung. With a hand that only trembled slightly she reached out and opened the door, slipping within the old building and allowing the door to close behind her. As with every time she visited this place it felt as if she had stepped from her world into an enchanted one. The smells of freshly turned spoil and the fragrance of flowers assaulted her sense of smell. The lush greenery and the almost tangible density of humidity in the room were always unexpected. Far from being overwhelming, Yumi welcomed the smell and feel of the place as to her it was the scent of life and growing things. Moving her head to avoid the many hanging plants she moved deeper into the greenhouse.

"I never realized just how beautiful this place was," Rei-sama's voice greeted her as she neared the middle of the old greenhouse. "It's like stepping into another world almost," The older girl said with a sense of awe as Yumi stopped a few feet away from her.

"Sachiko-sama told me that over half of the plants in here are roses," Yumi supplied as she gazed around her. "This one here," she said motioning to a bush that was growing directly from the soil through a hole in the greenhouse floor, "is a Chinensis rose bush. Sachiko-sama said it is always in bloom at any time of the year." Both girls instinctively looked at the bush and spotted several roses on it as well as many more that had as yet to bloom. _At one point that was me_ , Yumi thought upon spotting the small bud of a new rose.

"You miss her, Yumi-chan," Rei said rather than asked, already knowing the answer simply by the tone of the younger girl's words. Yumi simply nodded seeing no reason to deny the truth of the matter. "I won't pretend to understand what happened nor will I pry into the matter. It's between you and Sachiko," Rei told her directly. "I believe we're all taking that approach to it." By all she undoubtedly meant the entire Yamayurikai. "I realize it may seem like we've run off and left you to yourself but that's not the case. We don't want to choose sides and so we've decided not to participate. However," Rei added earnestly, "If you ever need something you can come to me and I'll do whatever I can to help you!"

"Arigato and I do appreciate that, Rei-sama" Yumi replied clasping her hands before her. "I wasn't certain what everyone's stance would be on the matter actually. I think I just assumed that you would all forget about me."

"I know you weren't with us but for a few weeks, but we are still your friends Yumi-chan," Rei said from the heart. "We're all your friends still. It's painful to hear that you would think so little of us that we could forget you so quickly! We do not take our friendship so lightly, Yumi-chan," Rei rebuked her gently.

"Gomennasai, Rei-sama. I never meant to imply that you did," Yumi responded with realizing that she wasting make sense at the moment and was perhaps just making the matter worse than it already was. Rei nodded slightly at the younger girl's words, certain she had gotten her point across. "That however is not the reason I asked you to meet me here, Rei-sama," Yumi continued with. "I spoke with Yoshino-san on Sunday and she asked that I pass a message along to you."

"I see," Rei interjected before Yumi could continue. "So she has you playing messenger for her. I wish she would just speak to me directly," Rei commented, the frustration in her voice evident. "All she has to do is walk next door to do so!" Rei shook her head resignedly. "What is her message," she finally asked looking up at Yumi.

Yumi took a deep breath having waited till she once more had the older girl's attention. "She said to tell you that as she will not be able to attend your match on Saturday but that she will be praying for you and that she wanted you to do your best," Yumi quoted Yoshino's words from the previous day.

A confused look settled on Rei's face upon hearing Yumi's words. "Can't attend? I know we had an argument but I didn't realize she was that angry with me," Rei mouthed, her eyes dropping away from Yumi as she pondered this latest revelation. The cousins had plenty of disagreements over the years but never had Yoshino taken it this far before.

"I…I don't think she is mad at you Rei-sama," Yumi offered trying to be helpful. "..at least she didn't seem to be when we spoke."

Rei looked back towards Yumi. "She's never missed one of my matches unless she was in the hospital," she stated and then paused as Yumi started to fidget and looked away, unable to meet the older girl's eyes. "Wait, is that it? Is she in the hospital Yumi-chan?" Rei demand crossing the distance between them in a quick stride and clasping hold of Yumi's hands while pulling them towards her to get the younger girl's attention. When Yumi looked back up and into Rei's brown eyes the older girl saw the truth there. "Which hospital is it? The usual one," she inquired already turning towards the door.

"Wait Rei-sama!" Yumi exclaimed boldly grabbing a hold of the older girl's hands before she could leave. "It's only lunch time and if you leave school now you'll get into trouble," Yumi said in an effort to keep the Rosa Foetida en Bouton from leaving. "I…I don't think Yoshino wants you to see her till after the operation."

Rei pivoted quickly and grabbed Yumi by the shoulders and shook her. "Operation? What operation," she demanded of the smaller girl, her voice laced with worry and concern.

Even though Rei had been Yumi's dance partner during the Cinderella play to have her so close in her face was intimidating. Perhaps it was her haircut but even with her being in a Lillian uniform it was still like having a young man in her face. "T…the one she's having on the day of your match. She…she said she was having the operation to correct the defect with her heart," Yumi stammered. "She told me that the success rate for that type of operation was nearly a hundred percent so there was nothing to worry about."

"Nearly 100 percent, can you promise me everything will go perfectly?" Rei spite the words out releasing the younger girl and heading to the door once more.

"Wait, Rei-sama," Yumi said reaching out and grabbing the upperclassman's arm before she could leave. "What good will going there do?" Yumi felt the tension in the arm she was grasping suddenly disappear.

"I…I have to be there for her," Rei said in an anguished voice as her head dropped in despair.

"You have no clue why Yoshino is deliberately having her operation at the same time as your match do you, Rei-sama," Yumi asked the older girl bot releasing the arm she held.

"How…how could I possibly know what she is thinking," Rei replied. "She got angry with me for wanting to be with her and I don't see her almost all week and I now I find out she's in the hospital getting an operation she has always been opposed to! How could I possibly know what she is thinking," Rei exclaimed as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

Watching Rei struggle so much made Yumi a bit envious. To see that Yoshino was such a large part of Rei's heart, she wished she meant as much to someone. While she knew it was wrong to speculate she couldn't help but wonder if Sachiko-sama and her had remained Sœur's would they have come to care for each other to that degree. "Yoshino-san's wish is for you to do well at your match. She wants you to become stronger on your own, without her," Yumi tried to explain. "In return she wants to become stronger as well which is why she is having this operation. She wants you to be able to live your own life without having to take care of her." Yumi slid her hand down the arm she still grasped till her hand clasp Rei's. "Please do well in your match as that is Yoshino's wish," she reiterated to the older girl.

"…Yoshino's wish," Rei mumbled still agonizing over the information that Yumi had imparted to her. Yumi held the hand in hers for a long moment finding it warm, large and strong. It was still almost unbelievable to imagine it using a set of knitting needles. _These hands have taken care of Yoshino her entire life. Even the largest hand can be as gentle as a mothers touch when it needs to be._ Rei withdrew her hand and with her head down and still deep in thought she walked to the exit and Yumi let her go this time. Yumi realized that this was a matter that Rei and Yoshino would have to settle between the two of them and that she had played her part.

Yumi turned back around and once more regarded the greenhouse and its beautiful flowers that surrounded her. _It really is like stepping into a different world_ , she thought to herself as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. _I could use a break from the real world after this last week._ For several long minutes she just stood there with her eyes closed and enjoyed the quiet moments of solitude that were hers and hers alone. Hearing the greenhouse door open and close once again she turned around. "Was there something else Rei…." The rest of her words froze in her throat upon seeing Ogasawara Sachiko standing there instead. "Go…gokigenyou Sa…Sachiko-sama," Yumi finally managed to stammer out after a long moment. She desperately wanted to bolt from the room but realized the reason for her urge to flee was between her and the door.

"Yumi," Sachiko replied striking a very proper and business like pose looking spectacularly beautiful in her Lillian uniform as always. Yumi's heart, as it always did upon seeing Sachiko, flip-flopped in her chest. "I just spoke with Rei and she seems to be very confused and upset at the moment," Sachiko stated in a very businesslike and emotionless tone of voice. "If possible, can you impart to me what the two of you were discussing in here? It wouldn't be good for Rei's image, or that of the Yamayurikai's, for her to be seen walking around the campus in such a sorrowful state of being. I'm sure you understand," Sachiko arched a brow in question at her former Petite Sœur.

"I understand," Yumi replied standing up a bit straighter under the older girl's steady gaze. Yoshino had not asked that she not tell anyone else and she certainly did not want to cause any more issues than need be for Rei-sama. In as few words a possible Yumi relayed what Yoshino had asked her to tell Rei. "Yoshino's final wish was for me to tell Rei-sama that she would be praying her to do well at her match on Saturday," Yumi ended with.

"I see," Sachiko said more to herself than to Yumi once the younger girl was finished. Sachiko's gaze slipped to the side as she thought over all that Yumi had imparted to her. Yumi, with the intense gaze now finally directed elsewhere, found that she could almost breathe normally. Yumi's eyes gazed almost hungrily upon the face before her, following every line, contour and curve. She could definitely see darker circle under her former Onee-sama's eyes, though they were partially obscured by makeup. "We'll keep an eye on Rei. I asked her to wait for me at the Rose mansion." Looking back towards the girl before her Sachiko looked as if she was about to say something further but then stopped as the hands clasped before her twitched as if wishing to take up something they couldn't. For a brief moment Yumi thought she saw something in those sapphire eyes belonging to the woman she greatly admired but then it was gone, replaced once again by the cold business exterior the older girl had worn upon first entering the greenhouse. "Gokigenyou," Sachiko said and then turned and left the greenhouse without saying another word.

Yumi watched her go a mixture of longing and sadness playing within her heart as the door to the greenhouse closed with a snap of finality. To the younger girl the cold abrupt attitude could only mean one thing. "Great! She hates me!"

**-oOo-**

Yumi sat down and glanced around the town gymnasium spotting several classmates and friends in attendance as well. It was Saturday, the day of the kendo match. The park surrounding the town gymnasium was primarily filled with high school girls wearing several different uniforms. As it was a beautiful day outside many of the students had decided to attend or perhaps more appropriately they had opted to waste their time there. Thursday evening after school Yumi had visited Yoshino in the hospital to let her know that she had spoken with Rei-sama as she had promised. She has also told Yoshino about her brief talk with Sachiko-sama and having told her has well the message relayed to Rei-sama. Yoshino had thanked her and asked her to do one more favor for her. It was that favor which now saw her sitting in a seat at the very top of the stadium style seating so that she could watch Rei's match and report back to Yoshino concerning it. While she may have had a better view of the match if she had descended to the seats below she enjoyed the bird's eye view her current seating location afforded her. Yumi had chosen the upper seats so as not to be in the way and had also selected a seat in from the aisle so that she would not be in the way of anyone wishing to get up and leave. Behind her was a metal railing and behind that was a wide walk way that went around the entire circumference of the gymnasium at ground level. One could walk in through the doors and take a seat without having to step down. The gymnasium floor itself was well below ground level however it did allow for the stadium seating which insured that everyone had a good view of the events on the floor below.

Yumi suddenly felt a presence behind her but before she could turn around to look a heavy weight dropped upon her shoulders and a pair of arms encircled her in a tight embrace. "Yumi-chan!" Satō Sei exclaimed hugging the younger girl while planting an affectionate kiss behind one ribbon wrapper pigtail and eliciting a startled 'EP!' from Yumi in the process. "How nice of you to save us seats," the Rose Gigantea exclaimed. "I get the seat next to Yumi-chan!" Having said so Sei proceeded to slip through the railing directly behind the top seats, very unladylike and settle into the seat next to the younger girl with pigtails.

"Rose Gigantea," Yumi exclaimed in surprise as Sei slipped her arm through Yumi's and grabbing the younger girls hand and entwined their fingers affectionately before pulling the captured hand into her own lap possessively.

"What? You don't mind do you Yumi-chan," Sei asked playfully while retaining a firm hold of the hand in hers. "Perhaps you'd prefer it if I fixed your collar or retied your tie," Sei inquired with a knowing grin and a wink causing the younger girl to blush.

As Yumi sputtered trying to respond she noticed the other two students with Sei-sama who had walked around to the end of the aisle and were coming back towards them. "Gokigenyou Rosa Chinensis, Sachiko-sama," she said deciding that no matter what she said the upperclassman latched onto her hand currently probably wasn't going to let her go.

"Gokigenyou, Yumi-chan," Mizuno Youko said with a warm smile as she took the seat next to Sei. "It's good to see you again. You should come by the Rose Mansion again sometime, we've missed you."

"Gokigenyou," Sachiko-sama replied in an emotionless tone as she took the seat next to her Grande Sœur and furthest away from Yumi though not before her sapphire eyes flickered down in the direction of the clasped hands in Sei's lap. Yumi only noticed Sachiko narrowing of the eyes because she happened to be staring at the older girls face once again just as she had done in the greenhouse the other day.

"Here Yumi-chan," Sei said passing a paper bag and a milk tea carton which she had held in her other hand to the younger girl. "You can't fight on an empty stomach," Sei explained at the confused look she received.

"Arigato," Yumi said setting the bag and carton down on the empty seat next to her. "How much was it," she asked reaching for her purse with her free hand, intent to pay her upperclassman back as she was hungry and this saved her a trip to the concession stand.

"Don't worry about it," the older girl replied waving away her question as if it was nothing important.

"No, I can't do that Rosa Gigantea," Yumi replied adamantly. "It wouldn't be proper to accept a gift without doing something to earn it."

"You can always give me those kisses you owe me," Sei retorted with a sly grin. "It's two as I recall," she said reaching up with the hand not holding Yumi's and tapping her cheek closest to Yumi with her index finger. "Right here will do nicely though after today you might just owe me three!"

"Rosa Gigantea, please refrain from attempting to corrupt the underclassman," came the cold piercing voice of Sachiko-sama.

"You're no fun," Sei shot back in a pouting tone.

"Regardless, she is correct Sei," Youko interjected into the conversation for which Yumi was extremely grateful not wanting to see the other two upperclassmen get into a heat discussion on her account. "Let Yumi pay for her own food as she is not your Petite Sœur so you have no grounds for treating her."

"That's it," Sei suddenly exclaimed turning to look intently at the girl with pigtails. "Yumi-chan why don't you become my Petite Sœur and then I can treat you all the time! Allow me to be your Onee-sama!"

"Rosa Gigantea!" Yumi exclaimed aghast at the thought of it. "I could never do that to Shimako-san," the younger girl stated loudly, her mind turned upside down at the very thought of it. "No one else could ever be my Onee-sama."

"No one else? Hear that Sachiko, it's only you apparently," Sei stated triumphantly. "I see how it is now Yumi-chan. My apologies for asking," Sei said feigning hurt feelings.

Yumi sputter and stumbled trying to find a suitable response to the older girl's accusation till Youko came to her rescue. "You realize Yumi-chan that you're only playing into her hand. The more you respond and react to what she says the long she'll go on like this. You're better off just ignoring her."

Yumi snapped her mouth closed with an audible popping sound and sat back in her seat. As much as she wanted to lean forward and see what Sachiko-sama was making of all of this, she knew she couldn't without being obvious about it, which would just give Sei yet another item to tease her about. Opening her purse she selected several bills she surmised would cover the cost of the meal and passed them to the woman sitting next to her without a word.

Sei fished in her own purse and handed over several coins in change before leaning in and whispering into Yumi's ear so that only the pigtailed brunette could hear her. "That's three you owe me now." Before Yumi could say anything her attention was drawn to the floor as the match was about to begin. "Yumi-chan have you ever been to a kendo match," Sei asked seeing the confusion on Yumi's face as she watched the first match. Blushing slightly Yumi had to admit that she had never even seen one on television. Sei used the second match to try to educate the younger girl on Kendo but she was corrected several times by Sachiko-sama. "You seem pretty knowledgeable about kendo, Sachiko," Sei inquired.

"Suguru-san use to do kendo," Sachiko replied absently without taking her eyes off the match down below. Kashiwagi-san, Yumi thought distastefully even though she knew it really wasn't her concern any longer.

"Look, its Rei's match," Sei said drawing her attention back to the floor below them. To Yumi it appeared as if something was different with the girl below holding her shinai before and standing tall. It was as if she had an inner fire burning within her. _She's beautiful_ , Yumi thought to herself. "If she loses it's all over however should she win then they move on to the finals. What pressure," Sei said shaking her head slightly.

"I hope she wins," Yumi heard Sachiko say from several seats away. Yumi leaned forward and peered at the other girl only to see her staring intently at the gymnasium floor below them.

"Don't worry, she'll win," Yumi replied with every shred of confidence she possessed. "If she doesn't she'll never be able to face Yoshino," Yumi offered seeing the confused look Sei shot her way. As Yumi watched the older girl down on the mats she suddenly wished she had brought a camera with her to take a picture for Yoshino-san. Suddenly there was a flash behind her to which she spun around to see who it was.

"Yumi-san," the photography ace said in surprise upon seeing Yumi sitting with two of the Roses as well as her former Onee-sama, Sachiko-sama. "Gokigenyou," Takeshima Tsutako offered to her upperclassman.

"Tsutako-san," Yumi said after the others had replied back, "Can you please make me a copy of that picture of Rei-sama," she requested. "It's not for me but rather for Yoshino-san," she explained.

"Once I have permission to use it," Tsutako assured her with a smile. The photography ace desperately wanted to know the details behind Yumi sitting in her present company but realized that now was not the best time to ask. Also she needed to take additional photos for the newspaper club that had asked her to cover the event. "See me later," she offered as she moved off to a different angel with a better view.

The Taishou match was nothing short of predictable, being completely dominated by Rei-sama. As Yumi watched in fascination the older girl pounded away with torso and mask shots to the point Yumi would have given up long ago.

"Brilliant." Sachiko-sama suddenly yelled just before three red flag flew up to signal a point for Rei-sama. With Rei-sama's score to her opponents forearm the Lillian team moved on to the finals against the Oonaka team.

The finals started quickly with no real time to rest. The first match went to Oonaka, with the next going to Lillian followed by a draw and then another Lillian win. In a short amount of time it was once again Rei-sama's turn. Below the two girl's shinai crashed loudly together however as they parted Rei's opponent was slightly quicker and managed to land a torso shot that scored a point evening the score to two wins apiece and a draw.

They all groaned in disappointment upon seeing Rei lose, "What happens now," Yumi asked Sei who was still engrossed in the events below.

"You really don't know anything do you Yumi," Sachiko-sama said in an exasperated reply while not removing her eyes from the floor below. Sei grinned to herself and remained silent allowing Sachiko to answer Yumi's question instead. "Both sides will send out a representative for a one point match to break the tie." For some reason, even though Sachiko-sama had stated that she knew nothing at all, Yumi's heart was warmed because for that one moment she sounded like the old Sachiko-sama who had been her Onee-sama.

Both teams sent out their individual representatives with Rei-sama being Lillian's and the opponent Rei had just lost to being the one for the Oonaka team. For Lillian to win Rei would have to defeat the person she had just lost to.

Yumi nodded and turned back to watch the match below. Yumi felt that if Rei could win in Kendo and with Yoshino winning in surgery that the two of them would be able to once again walk down a new road as Sœur's, a fresh start as equals for the both of them. Not for the first time that week Yumi found herself being a little envious of the two cousins and the relationship they had.


	3. Act III

Sapphire eyes gazed out the second floor window of the Rose mansion to the courtyard below. The building itself was old and small, being only slightly shorter in size than that of a normal classroom. The bottom floor was given over to storage rooms and the entry way that swept into the stairway leading to the second floor. Once you reached the second floor landing you need only enter the biscuit door to step within the meeting room of the Yamayurikai, Mountain Lily also known as the Lillian Girl's Academy Student Council.

' _No one else could ever be my Onee-sama'. Did she really mean what she said that day? If she meant it then why give back the rosary in the first place?_ Sachiko's head, not for the first time, started to hurt as she pondered the events that took place several weeks prior at the kendo match. Sachiko's thoughts were interrupted as Yoshino appeared at her elbow and offered her a steaming cup of black tea. "Arigato," Sachiko offered with a smile after taking a sip of the tea. The thanks was for bringing the tea over to her where she sat in a chair by the window and the smile was to reassure Rei's Petite Sœur that it tasted good. Satisfied that she had pleased her upperclassman, the younger girl with matching braids across her chest turned away and walked over to her chair and sat once more. Sachiko set the saucer down on the windowsill and wrapped both her hands around the tea cup to warm them.

It was the week that separated Christmas from New Year's and today had been the opening ceremony for the third semester. School for the day was done as the ceremony had finished and all that was left for the students to do was to receive their report cards from their homeroom teachers, which Sachiko had already done before arriving at the Rose Mansion. Some students had club activities but most went home early, thankful for the extra time off even though they had just returned from a week long break after the end of semester exams and Christmas holiday. _It's not nearly hot enough_ , she thought to herself as she looked down at the cup of tea in her hands. _At least it will be good for something_ , she mused as the heat slowly seeped into her fingers. Absently she tried to recall the last time she had drank a truly proper cup of tea or at least what she believed to be a proper cup. Sapphire eyes housed within a countenance that a super model would be envious of, arose and returned to their silent vigil of the courtyard below. _Yumi's tea would almost always burn my lips it was so hot_ , she remembered as a fond smile graced her lips at the thought of being served tea by the young brunette _. It was perfect!_ Few students were about outside due to the inclement weather, it being seasonably cold out, of those that entered the courtyard none drew her attention for more than a quick glance. Lost in her thoughts of the perfect tea, served by a cute girl with ribbons in her hair she failed to notice the others that entered the room.

Yoshino quickly served the three Roses tea as they seated themselves at the table. Almost as if on cue all three sets of eyes turned and regarded the raven haired beauty sitting off by herself gazing out the window, oblivious to what was happening around her. "I think she's love sick," Eriko the Rosa Foetida offered with an almost wistful sigh as if she wished it was herself in love. There was nothing quite as interesting as love was to the older girl.

"If anyone would know about that you would, Eriko," Sei said with a soft chuckle causing both of the other Roses to grin knowing the truth of Rosa Gigantea's words. The Rosa Foetida was well known for often, but short lived, bouts of 'love sickness' that afflicted her on an almost regular basis.

Youko looked at Yoshino, "How long has she been like that," she inquired, concerned about the wellbeing of Sachiko.

Yoshino took her seat once again, having just refilled her own tea cup, before replying. "Do you mean just today," she asked of her upperclassman.

All three Roses looked at her sharply though it was Youko that spoke first. "You mean this has been going on for some time?" The Rosa Chinensis's voice did little to disguise the concern she was feeling.

Yoshino swallowed heavily uncertain if she should be saying anything or not. Even though she was a member of the Yamayurikai herself she was still only a first year high school student. To have three third year students sitting there staring at her greatly intimidated her so she couldn't help but divulge the information she was asked for. "It's been for the past five or six weeks," she relented and told them. "Some days are better than others. If we're busy and there is plenty to do then she fine. It's only when things are quiet like today that you really notice it."

"I guess I've been so busy getting ready for exams and graduating that I've over looked what was happening right in front of me," Youko said as her gaze once more settled upon her Petite Sœur.

"At this rate I won't be the only one who will have missed being a Grandparent at graduation," Sei injected with her typical grin meaning that it was becoming apparent that Sachiko would not have a Petite Sœur any time soon. The Rosa Gigantea's eyes still settled upon the raven haired girl with concern despite the humorous tone of her voice.

"How very boring," Eriko said with an insufferable sigh. "You two need to step up your game. I don't want to be the only grandparent at graduation!" Eriko sighed, intrigued despite herself. "If she's not love sick then what is she," the Rosa Foetida pondered aloud as she dropped her chin into the palm of one hand and regarded the lone figure sitting looking out the window with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"Just because your Sœur's came as a boxed set doesn't give you reason to get all high and mighty," Sei retorted earnestly completely ignoring that fact that Yoshino was sitting at the table with them. "Besides," Sei added with a snicker, unable to pass up the opening, "of the three of us you look old enough to be a grandparent!"

"If the two of you are done sparing," Youko said in a stern voice as she rose to her feet forestalling any forth coming retorts. She well knew her fellow Roses propensity for verbal kendo matches and was hoping to prevent one at this time. The fact that they had all been in the room for some time now and Sachiko had not taken notice of them had her greatly concerned. "I think I need to go be a proper Onee-sama," she said giving her classmates a look.

Sei nodded once, catching the meaning behind the look instantly. "Yoshino, why don't you give us a hand downstairs for a bit," Sei said as she too stood up and then looked at the still seated Eriko.

"What? Me too?" Eriko whined. "But this was just getting interesting!" With a resigned sigh and a pout on her face Eriko stood, pushed in her chair, and regrettably followed the other two girls out of the room, closing the door behind her. "Why can't you and Rei ever give me interesting problems like that," Youko heard the Rosa Foetida ask of Yoshino as the door closed behind the three departing Yamayurikai members.

Youko just shook her head silently. _Careful what you wish for_. Lifting her chair up she carried it over next to the girl by the window and set it down to the side of the chair Sachiko was seating in but facing the opposite direction. As Youko sat down she suddenly saw her Petite Sœur's eyes light up with hope and Sachiko lips moved silently, though Youko easily read the name ' _Yumi_ ' upon them. Just as suddenly as it came, so too did Youko see the light in those sapphire eyes disappear. Glancing back over her shoulder out the window she caught a glimpse of a girl walking briskly across the courtyard with brown hair partially hidden beneath a woolen hat. _How did I let it get this bad_ , she asked herself as she turned back around? Reaching out, Youko took one of Sachiko's hands in her and drew it into her lap. "How long has it been since you've seen her," she asked softly.

"Almost two months," the younger of the two replied without thinking. Slowly the raven haired beauty turned and looked at the woman sitting next to her holding her hand. "Onee-sama." If she was confused at the appearance of the older girl there her voice did not betray her though her actions certainly did. "I'm sorry; I didn't hear you come in. Let me get you some tea."

"Stay," Youko said stopping Sachiko before she could rise. "I would rather sit here with my Petite Sœur for the moment," she added with a warm smile. "I've missed you Sachiko," Youko said reaching out with her free hand and caressing the other girls face tenderly.

Sachiko leaned into her Onee-sama's touch not realizing till just that moment how much she had missed it. "You've been busy. I understand that," Sachiko replied with softly. "How was your break?"

Youko sighed and lowered her hand back into her lap, placing it over their already joined hands. "I spent it mostly studying," she explained, "but none the less it was enjoyable. How was yours?"

"I was out of the country," the younger girl replied, her eyes once more peering out the window at the courtyard below them. Youko didn't miss the fact that Sachiko's eyes darted around as if searching for something or someone. "A business trip with Father to France," Sachiko explained looking back once again to her Onee-sama. "Nothing special."

_Nothing special?_ Youko was amused as most people, herself included, would call a weeklong trip to France during school break as something very special. Yet Sachiko had commented on it in such a manner that she made it sound as if it was something she did every third week of the month. "So," Youko started with after several moments of silence hung between them.

"So," Sachiko echoed in a curious tone.

"So," Youko's browns eyes looked intently into the blue ones regarding her at that moment, "will my little sister have a little sister by the time I graduate," Rosa Chinensis inquired directly seeing no reason to beat around the bush as the saying went.

Sachiko held her gaze for a long moment. "I…I don't know Onee-sama," she stammered. "It's not that simple," she added looking away and down at her lap.

"This is more than just an ornament," Youko said tapping the rosary currently wrapped around Sachiko's wrist. Within the Sœur system the rosary indicated a large responsibility and commitment of ones times. It also signified a long standing tradition that due to its existence precluded a need for a long list of rules to be enforced at Lillian. Additionally as Sachiko was herself an en Bouton, there was the added caveat of whomever her Petite Sœur wound up being would more than likely also be the Rosa Chinensis one day as well. There would be an election of course but seldom were the incumbents not elected into office.

"I know," Sachiko mumbled softly not looking away from her lap. The silver rosary on her wrist sparkled catching the overheard lighting and reflecting it back at her. The object of their discussion felt considerably heavier where it rested than it should have from its physical weight.

Youko turned in her chair till her knees were against the side of Sachiko's chair and she was facing her little sister diagonally. "I realize that much like Cinderella's glass slipper, this will only fit one person," she said once again tapping the rosary. "Your Cinderella is out there," she stated as she raised a hand and pointed in the direction of the courtyard out the window while her voice grew slightly more forceful. "All you need to do is find the girl this slipper," she tugged at the rosary with her remaining hand as she said this, "fits and give it to her!"

"I tried!" Sachiko exclaimed, her head suddenly snapping up and turning as she looked towards her Onee-sama. "She doesn't want me!" The hurt and pain in those blue eyes struck the Rosa Chinensis almost like a physical blow.

Youko sat back in her chair, tossing her hands back into her lap with an exasperated grunt that was very uncharacteristic of her. "So that's it? You just give up?" She inquired in an irritated tone that Sachiko had never before heard directed at her, at Sei often, Eriko sometimes, but never at herself. "Ogasawara Sachiko, Lillian's Princess gets told no and you just meekly roll over and accept it? I never thought I would see that day where you'd accept losing without even putting up a fight!"

"Well what else am I supposed to do," Sachiko snapped, angry herself and truthfully more than a little stung by the truth of the other girl's words. "She avoids me like the plague and doesn't want to be anywhere near me!"

Youko smiled, relieved to see the fighting spirit in her Petite Sœur's eyes once again. Taking Sachiko's hand in hers once again she held it tenderly. "Is she the one? Are you certain," Youko asked.

Sachiko nodded once. "She's the only one this slipper will fit," she replied using her Onee-sama's metaphor for the rosary upon her wrist. "No one else will do."

"Then you don't take no for an answer," Youko said giving the younger girls hand a reassuring squeeze. "No matter how many times you're told it. There's nothing that says you can't ask and then ask again," Youko said with a warm smile.

"But what if I don't have a little sister by the time you graduate, Onee-sama," Sachiko asked realizing that it was a distinct possibility.

"It's alright," the older girl replied with a gentle smile. "As long as you're certain she is the one and you're working towards that then I'm content." Youko leaned forward and embraced her Petite Sœur for a long moment only letting her go when she heard several people making excessive noise climbing the stairs outside the room. "Perhaps we should move back over to the table," she offered rising to her feet.

Both girls were just putting their chair in place when the door to the room opened and Eriko, Yoshino and Sei entered. "Ready to go," Sei asked upon entering as the three Roses had plans for the rest of the day.

Youko nodded but paused long enough to take a piece of paper from her school bag and write down something, turning she handed the paper to Sachiko. "Here is out contact information if you need to reach us," she explained.

"Arigato, Onee-sama," Sachiko said with a warm smile. Her tone made it clear that the thanks was not for the paper but rather for their previous conversation. Farewells were exchanged and the Roses left to continue their day elsewhere.

"I'll make some tea," Yoshino said as she walked over to the kitchenette area.

"That would be lovely," Sachiko said with a smile as she seated herself and removed a novel she was in the process of reading from her school bag. Sachiko began reading from where she last left off, pausing only long enough to thank Yoshino when she set a cup of warm tea before her. The two of them sat in silence for several minutes until a hurried tread upon the stairs drew their combined attention to the biscuit colored door just before it opened and Shimako burst into the room.

"Do either of you know what a rosa canina is," she asked completely forgoing the usual greeting before blurting out her question. The fact that whatever the issue was had Shimako agitated to the point of forgetting customary courtesies had both Sachiko and Yoshino worried.

"Rosa, canina," Youshino stated repeating the other girl's words. "I've never heard of it." Both first year students turned their gaze towards Sachiko who simply shook her head that she had never heard of it either. "What is it," Yoshino asked failing to realize that if Shimako knew that she wouldn't have been asking them about it.

Before Shimako could say anything they were interrupted though. "Who is Rosa Canina," Rei asked as she stepped through the door.

"So it's a person," Detective Yoshino exclaimed triumphantly upon hearing her Onee-sama's words.

Rei nodded, "A second year student," she supplied.

"How do you know she's a student here Rei-chan," Yoshino asked forgetting to use Onee-sama in the excitement of the moment.

"I overheard some students talking about her," Rei said dropping heavily into a vacant chair. "Apparently she is going to submit her candidacy."

"WHAT!" everyone else in the room exclaimed at the same time?

**-oOo-**

Yumi stepped off the bus and shivered in the cold crisp morning air. New Year's had come and gone with hardly a notice. The first year student of Lillian's Girl's Academy had spent the holiday at home with her family. The time off from school, secluded in her room, had given her plenty of time to reflect on the previous year and in particularly the later part of it. No longer did she worry if she had made the right decision or not as what was done was already done she had told herself. _The third year students will graduate in a couple of months and Sachiko-sama will certainly have a new Petite Sœur before Youko-sama leaves Lillian. I can't change the past however I can do something about the future_ , she reasoned to herself. She didn't really want to change the past, at least not all of it anyways. _Sachiko-sama was a good Onee-sama to me even if the reason for making me her little sister was not the right one._ The more she had thought about Sachiko-sama and what it took to be a good Onee-sama the more she realized that she herself wanted to be an Onee-sama. _In April there will be a new group of first year students_ , she thought, _and maybe somewhere in there will be a little sister for me_. _It's not like I'm not good enough to be an Onee-sama, I'm just not good enough to be Sachiko-sama's Petite Sœur_ , she told herself imagining someone of Shimako-san's caliber filling that position which she could not.

Shaking her head once to clear the thoughts from it the small brunette crossed the crosswalk with a bounce in her step and walked through the front gates of Lillian's Girl's Academy. The morning was still early, barely after 7:30, which was the time the school's library opened. While you couldn't check out any books till 8:00, you could still go and look up reference material if you wished to. The reason she was at school early and on her way to the library was due to something that Yoshino had told her. There was going to be a fourth person running in the election for student council, a Rosa Canina. Yumi had tried to look up the rose type in her reference book at home but it wasn't in there. Roses Chinensis, Foetida and Gigantea weren't in their either which made her wonder just how useful her book really was.

Upon entering the library she quickly made her way to where the catalog computers were located and she was in luck as only one of the three were in use currently. Yumi seated herself and set her school bag down on the floor leaning it against the leg of her chair. Punching in the term _rose_ into the search box she clicked on the search button and the little hourglass came up and poured its sand out and flipped over and did the same for several minutes. When the results finally appeared on the screen it stated that there were over 4000 matches returned. Glancing at the listing of the results on the first page she could see they were not sorted by relevance. The first item in the list itself was apparently a romance novel titled " _For The Love of Rose_ ". Yumi resorted the list by name and then the top result was a book called ' _Ahh, My Beloved, You Remind Me Of A Rose_ '. Yumi sighed heavily in frustration both at the search results as well as her own inability to properly use a computer. The girl next to her stood and left after gracing her with a sympathetic smile.

"Excuse me…" said a kind voice from behind Yumi's left shoulder. Turning her head Yumi saw a girl with near shoulder length black hair and a warm smile. _She must be an upperclassman_ , Yumi thought to herself. Upon first impression Yumi first thought she looked pretty nice, the type of girl you'd want to have as a friend, and then she noticed that the other girl was really pretty. Not on the same level as Sachiko-sama, she reasoned, but certainly to the same degree as Youko-sama who she reminded Yumi of. "I'm one of the library assistants, is there something I can help you with?"

"Arigato," Yumi offered turning back to regard the screen in front of her in resignation. _I must look pretty pathetic if she asked be that just out of the blue._ "I was trying to look up some information at home in my reference book however it didn't have anything on what I needed," Yumi explained as the upperclassman came and stood behind her, looking over her shoulder at the search results.

"Roses," the girl stated in a mildly surprised tone of voice as she looked at the search criteria. "Why would Fukuzawa Yumi-san be researching roses," she asked in a teasing tone.

"I'm trying to find out about a certain kind of rose," Yumi explained, missing the playful bantering tone of the other girl entirely as she was fixated upon her goal.

"Would that be the Chinensis rose family," the library assistant asked with a knowing grin certain she was correct in her assumption.

"N…no," Yumi stammered as just hearing the name called to mind images of her beloved Sachiko-sama who she hadn't seen in two months. It wasn't that Yumi was avoiding the older girl, far from that as she was a fan of the Rosa Chinensis en Bouton. They were in different circles both academically as well as socially. With studying for exams and then the holidays they just hadn't run into each other. The one chance she had of seeing her was nearly impossible, at the third semester opening ceremony. The impossibility of it was that the first year students entered first and were seating towards the front where the teachers could keep an eye on them. In order to be able to see the girl she adored she would have had to turn around in her seat, a very unladylike act that Sachiko-sama was sure to be displeased about should she spy the younger girl doing it. "No, my encyclopedia at home didn't have what I wanted in it. It didn't even have Chinensis in it either," she offered to the older girl's question.

"I'm surprised at that," The library girl said in a slightly confused tone upon hearing Yumi's words. "The Chinensis species is a fairly main one which many of the others use as a root base."

"Is that so," Yumi replied listening intently. She was learning about the rose of the woman she still held dear in her heart.

"If you're not looking up information on the Chinensis family of roses," the older girl said with a smile, pausing slightly after saying that last part before continuing, "then what type of rose were you trying to research?"

"I want to learn what I can about the Canina family of roses," Yumi told her.

The library assistant's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this though if Yumi was aware of it at all, she appeared not to have noticed. "Is there a particular reason you want to find out about that type?"

Yumi nodded, "Know thy enemy, know thyself," she said quoting a line from Sun Tzu's Art of War though for the life of her she couldn't recall where she had learned it. _Probably from Yoshino_ , she surmised, _it sounds like something she would say_. _Still, it aptly fits in this case._ Anyone who might prevent Sachiko-sama from becoming the next Rosa Chinensis was nothing short of an enemy in her book.

"Are you so certain this rose is an enemy," the other girl inquired gently.

"Do you know of it," Yumi asked in return not answering the question posed to her as she really didn't have a good answer. While she wanted to assume that Rosa Canina was her enemy, even if only indirectly due to being the enemy of Sachiko-sama, still she didn't want to condemn someone to being an enemy when she had never met the person herself. _For all I know this Rosa Canina could be someone like myself._ Inwardly she doubted that someone with the name of Rosa Canina could be like herself. _Perhaps more like one of the Roses or even like Sachiko-sama even, though that might be a stretch._ Even Yumi could admit that no one, at least not within her eyes, could live up to the image of Sachiko-sama.

"I've heard of it," the older girl admitted. "I wonder what a Canina rose looks like or what color it is?"

"I think it would have to be a black rose," Yumi offered in a thoughtful manner. Anyone who could try to prevent her Sachiko-sama from being elected had to be a black rose for certain!

Before the older girl could respond the warning bell rang signaling that classes would soon be starting. "If you like," the black haired girl offered Yumi, "I can find you a good book on them? Come back at lunch time and I'll leave it for you with the person at the checkout counter."

"Arigato," Yumi exclaimed rising to her feet while a big smile appeared upon her face. "I can't thank you enough!" The registration of candidates for the election was scheduled to open after the election committee meeting to go over the rules with the expectant candidates which was after classes today so lunch time was the best time to pick up the book.

"I'll be sure to leave a note on it with your name and that you'll be by at lunch time to get it," she said. Yumi thanked her and bowed before turning away and heading towards the door only to be stopped in her tracks by the girl behind her, "Yumi-san," the library assistant said and then waited till Yumi turned and was looking at her before continuing. "You're forgetting something," she said pointing to Yumi's school bag which was still leaning again the chair leg where Yumi had set it. Yumi's cheeks turned a bright red as she quickly retrieved the forgotten bag. "Hurry up now or you'll be late for morning prayers," the girl chided her. Yumi nodded and quickly made her way to her class room. It was only once she was there that she realized that the girl from the library reminded her of Sachiko-sama when she had been her Onee-sama.


	4. Act IV

When the lunch bell rang Yumi quickly left her classroom and made her way to the library, intent on discovering all she could concerning Canina roses. The day, while bright and sunny, was still cold so she was glad to make it to the warmth of the library. Yumi quickly made her way to the book checkout counter and smiled upon seeing the girl from this morning sitting there as if she was waiting for her. "Yumi-san," the library assistant greeted the younger girl with a warm friendly smile. After a quiet word with the girl on duty with her she came around the counter. "I found some books for you however they can't be checked out," she offered in way of explanation as she walked past Yumi and motioned for her to follow.

"Gokigenyou," Yumi said as the older girl stepped around her. _That's right, I never did get her name_ , she thought to herself. _That's rather strange. I'll have to ask for it before I thank her_ , she resolved to do.

"I had some time so I found several books with the references you mentioned this morning," the dark haired second year student informer her over her shoulder as they worked their way to the back section of the library where all the reference books were located at.

"Y…you really didn't need to go through all this trouble for me," Yumi said as they stopped in front of one of the book shelves and the other girl slid two books off and into her own arm before moving to another bookcase further down. _She should at least allow me to carry them_ , Yumi thought to herself feeling a little on the useless side at the moment. Yumi mentally added kind and thoughtful to her earlier assessment of the girl being pretty and someone you'd want to be around. _How fortunate her Petite Sœur must be to have her as an Onee-sama!_

"I'm part of the library committee so it's more or less my responsibility to help those that come here," she explained slipping a third book from the shelf and onto the growing stack held in her one arm. "It really is no problem," she assured the younger girl behind her as she moved off to another book case further away.

"I still feel I should repay you…," Yumi trailed off not having a name to finish the sentence with and think it might a little rude to just come out and ask her for a name to use.

"Shizuka," the library committee member supplied with a flash of a smile before she walked further down the aisle and selected a fifth book which apparently completed the stack as she wrapped both arms around them to better support their combined weight. "I think there is an open table back this way Yumi-san," she said heading in the direction she indicated; trust Yumi to follow after her.

"Arigato, Shizuka-sama," Yumi said when they reached the table and the upperclassman set the books down. "I won't forget this," Yumi told her in a tone that indicated she planned to repay her someday in some way even if right now she didn't know how to do that.

"Please don't feel you have to repay me for anything, Yumi-san," she said directly. "I would feel incredibly bad if you were to do that."

"What?' A shocked Yumi asked her eyes growing large at the older girl's confession.

"You have such an expressive face," Shizuka commented after watching several emotions flash across the younger girl face. Yumi could feel herself blushing in embarrassment. _Why does everyone feel the need to comment on my curse_ , she wondered with a mental groan to herself. "…and it's so cute when you blush like that Yumi-san," Shizuka added with a playful sparkle to her eyes as they regarded the first year student's discomfort. Yumi started to inquire about Shizuka's earlier comment but the older girl's finger across her lips stopped her before she could get a single word out. "Let's leave it as it is for now, shall we?" she asked. "I think you'll find out soon enough one way or another."

"There's nothing I can do to repay you," Yumi pressed her case feeling it wasn't right to accept all the help she had received without offering something in return.

Shizuka's took a seat at the table, setting the books down and resting her hands on the top of them, after gesturing to the empty seat next to her. "Perhaps you can answer a question for me then," she offered to appease the younger girl's sense of fair play.

"Gladly," Yumi quickly replied without thinking as she slipped into the indicated seat. "That is assuming I can without breaking another's trust," she quickly added. Not that she believed the other girl would every ask her to betray someone's trust like asking her to reveal a secret shared between two friends. Shizuma didn't strike her as the type to be deceitful like that. If anything Shizuka reminded her of Sachiko-sama or perhaps Youko-sama once she thought about it further.

"I have to admit," Shizuka opened with casually enough so the next words took Yumi by surprise, "I've been watching you." _Watching me_ , Yumi's mind nearly screamed. The young brunette instantly recalled earlier that day when she had tripped over her own feet coming down the stairs. If not for the quick actions of her classmate Katsura-san reaching out and grabbing her she would have taken a tumble down the stairs. Yumi felt her cheek rapidly heating up once again hoping that the older girl hadn't been watching at that time. "My goodness you certainly do blush easily," the older girl stated once more smiling as she reached out to touch one of the rosy cheeks reflexively and discovered the cheek in question was warm to her touch. "It's very cute!"

Yumi's blush deepened several shades upon hearing her words. "Y…you had a q…question," Yumi stammered lowering her head and trying to get the other girl off the topic of the color of her cheeks.

"Ah that's right," Shizuka said making a snapping sound with the fingers on one hand. "As I said, I've been watching you. You're smart, funny, and friendly not to mention kind to a fault. Your classmates enjoy being around you, not to mention that you're cute, even when you're not blushing," she added in a teasing tone. "So, why did you return Sachiko-san's rosary?" _You're everything a little sister should be_ , she silently added.

Yumi looked up sharply but saw genuine curiosity in the other girl's eyes. She had asked herself this question so many times over the last few months and she had several different answers. "It's hard to explain," she finally started with. Shizuka waited for the younger girl to continue realizing that Yumi was gathering her thoughts. "We were together for the wrong reasons," Yumi said and then rethought her reply. "Or maybe we weren't together for the right reasons," she corrected. While each answer seemed to be saying the same thing they were in fact very different within Yumi's head. The correct reasons would be along the lines of caring for the person and wanting to care and nurture them as they grew into womanhood. _The wrong reasons were the ones Sachiko-sama and I were together for._

"The Sœur system is about an older, more mature girl, taking a younger one under her wing and caring for her. Much like a gardener will tend a plant so that it can blossom into the most beautiful flower that it can," Shizuka said choosing her words carefully. "Are you saying that wasn't why Sachiko-san and you were together?"

"Sachiko-sama was a perfect Onee-sama," Yumi exclaimed fearful that the girl before her would get the wrong impression from her earlier statement. In Yumi's mind the fault did not lay with Sachiko-sama but rather with herself. "She did everything she could to help me," Yumi stated adamantly. "You can't make marble from soil," she mumbled more to herself than the other girl.

"So then the problem was not with Sachiko-san," Shizuka asked trying to feel out the younger girl while attempting not to upset her. She knew this subject was a tender one for the smaller girl but she also felt that the girl seated next to her needed to talk about it. Call it intuition or even empathy but she instinctively felt that this was the case. "So the problem was with Yumi-san then?"

Yumi dropped her head and stared at her hands in her lap, nodding her head only slightly. "I…I was selfish," she explained in a soft voice which Shizuka had to strain to hear. "I've been a fan of Sachiko-sama's since I started my first year. I saw her playing the organ at the welcoming ceremony and from that moment on I knew I was her fan. I wanted nothing more than to be her Petite Sœur." Yumi looked up quickly, her eyes meeting those of the older girls sitting there. "I never imagined that she would actually offer me her rosary! Before I properly thought about it I accepted it. I was selfish," she reiterated once again as her eyes returned to her lap to ashamed to meet the older girl's eyes any longer.

"I heard that Sachiko-sama was to play the part of Cinderella," Shizuka asked to which Yumi simply nodded. "I see. So you then took on the lead role and danced with the male lead, sparing your Onee-sama who hates men, from having to do it?" Once again Yumi nodded at the other girl's statement. "I fail to see how that is being selfish on your part," Shizuka stated, bewildered by the course the conversation had taken and still unable to fathom Yumi's reasoning.

"All I thought about was myself," Yumi mumbled. "I didn't think about Sachiko-sama."

"It sounds to me," Shizuka tried to gently correct her, "that _all_ you thought about was Sachiko-san."

"No!" Yumi's head shot up and Shizuka's heart went out to the younger girl seeing the large tear filled brown eyes before her filled with anguish. "I was selfish! I saw a chance to have what I wanted and I didn't stop to think. I just took what I wanted," Yumi said in a depreciating tone of voice after the first heated outburst, as the first tears wound their way down her young cheeks. "I never once considered Sachiko-sama. I may have helped her with the play but what about afterwards? I would have been nothing but an embarrassment to her. She should have a Petite Sœur like…like…," words failed her for a moment as her throat was thick with emotions she thought she had put behind her, "…like someone other than me," she finally finished in a whisper dropping her head once more as large tear drops fell into her lap.

_Oh Yumi_ , Shizuka's heart wailed within her chest. "What could possible ever make you believe that you were not good enough for Sachiko-san?" Shizuka resisted the urge to pull the crying girl into her arms and comfort her just yet. "Who told you that you weren't good enough?"

"Everyone…," Yumi sobbed as her shoulder shook. "I…I tried to ignore them," she continued through her tears. "I didn't want to listen to them. I didn't at first," she cried in earnest, her tear stained face rising to look at the older girl sitting with her, "Everyone can't be wrong!"

Shizuka reached out and laid a comforting hand upon Yumi's shoulder and as if it was the final weight which Yumi could no longer support, the first year student came tumbling down and landed against the older girl's chest as heart wrenching sobs escaped her lips. Rosa Canina did the only thing she could and enfolded the smaller girl within her embrace and allowed her to cry herself out. From the sound of it these feelings had been building up inside of Yumi for some time and the best thing Shizuka figured was to let them out. She could recall the comments she had overheard last year when she had changed her appearance and cut her long hair. Teenage girls could be vicious when they wanted to be. Then she had been commented on for only a couple of weeks but if what she had heard was true then Yumi had been dealing with it for over four months now. _I'm amazed she held it in as long as she did._

Stroking the soft brown hair on the back of Yumi's head gently the library assistant nearly started to cry herself upon hearing Yumi sob out the word ' _Onee-sama_ ' with such longing that it nearly broke her heart. The fact that a girl who had smiled so brightly and blushed so cutely should be reduced to such tears went against everything Shizuka believed to be descent and proper. The older girl felt a smoldering anger towards the vindictive girls that had caused Yumi this much pain and turmoil. She faced a tough decision in that she wasn't certain if Sachiko-san should be made aware of this or not. Those students that happen to come running at the sound of crying were quickly turned away by a stern look from the older of the two girls.

After some time the tears subsided and Yumi sat up once again, though she kept her head lowered, certain that she was a sight to behold at the moment. "Arigato," she offered weakly reaching into her pocket for her handkerchief.

Shizuka reached over and lifted Yumi's chin till she could see the younger girls face. Using her own handkerchief she started wiping away the tears that remained before Yumi could bring forth her own handkerchief. "Yumi-san," she said as she worked, "I just have one more question for you. I think, if I had an Onee-sama, that the only opinion that would matter to me would be hers." Shizuka paused in her ministrations and looked directly into the red rimmed brown eyes of the other girl as she gently held Yumi's chin. "I have difficulty in believing that Sachiko-san would have told you that you were not good enough for her. If anything she would tell you the opposite as I believe she is a good judge of character," she stated holding Yumi's chin firmly so that she couldn't look away. "So my question, and I believe I already know the answer to it, is did Sachiko-san tell you that you weren't good enough to be her Petite Sœur?"

"No," Yumi admitted after several long moments had passed.

"I see," Shizuka said thoughtfully releasing the younger girl's chin. "Well then it is not too late, I think." Seeing the confused look on Yumi's face she smiled gently. "It's never too late to say you were wrong and ask for forgiveness," she explained. Even though she felt better after crying, Yumi didn't think what she had done was something you could simply ask for forgiveness for. You had to earn it.

**-oOo-**

"Yumi-san, did something happen," asked Takeshima Tsutako causing Yumi to freeze in place a she recalled the events that transpired at lunch time. It was cleaning time after classes and Yumi was sweeping the floor. Tsutako-san walked over and pickup up a dustpan before returning and kneeling down to receive the debris Yumi had swept into a pile. Tsutako-san's group was already finished with their chores but here she was helping her friend, a fact Yumi did not miss and was thankful for.

"Arigato," Yumi said and then remembered to sweep the dirt into the dustpan. "Why do you ask?"

"You're especially gloomy today and you were nearly late for prayers this morning," the photography ace replied. Yumi shrugged and walked over to the cleaning closet to put the broom away. She had made the trip to the library during lunch and despite what happened there, she did manage to look up the information she wanted to, thanks to Shizuka-sama. She discovered that the Canina rose was not a black rose after all but was instead a pretty flower which ranged from white to a cute pink in color. It was nearly impossible to hate something so beautiful which only caused her to wonder if the real Rosa Canina was perhaps the same way. "This has something to do with Sachiko-sama, doesn't it," Tsutako-san asked. Seeing the startled look that leaped crossed her friends face she knew that she was right. "If that is the case then it must be about the elections and the appearance of Rosa Canina I bet! Second year Wisteria class and choir member, Kanina Shizuka," Tsutako-san offered up.

Yumi's eyes lit up! "You discovered her identity?" _Why does that name sound familiar_ , Yumi puzzled for a moment before listening to her friend once again.

"I overheard the newspaper club talking," Tsutako-san admitted. Yumi decided not to accuse her friend of ease dropping as she was glad to have the sought after information. "Basically Yumi-san is worried about her raison d'etre."

"EH?" Yumi said arching a brow in question as a look of confusion settled upon her features. "My what?"

"Raison d'etre," Tsutako-san said again to her friend. "Your reason for existing," she explained in simpler terms recalling that French was not one of Yumi's better subjects. "It's one of your endearing traits actually, that you can be so single mindedness."

"What, like my raccoon eyes and baby face or perhaps my air headiness," Yumi replied with in a slightly exasperated tone as she walked over to her desk to retrieve her school bag now that cleaning was done. Her real reason for moving away was that she didn't want the photography ace to keep questioning her. Tsutako-san could be just as persistent as the newspaper club reporters when it came to discovering what was bothering Yumi. For now Yumi hoped she would keep assuming it was Sachiko-sama and the election that were the problem. Yumi said a silent apology in her heart for the deception to her friend.

Tsutako-san rolled her eyes, used to her friend talking badly about herself by now but disliking it all the same. "You always do that Yumi-san," she stated. "You're always putting yourself down when the truth of the matter is that your presence has affected a lot of people in a good way. People's lives are better thanks to Yumi-san being here," the photography ace said heatedly as the pair of them left the class room and walked down the hallway.

"B…but I don't do anything," Yumi said in her own defense.

Tsutako-san chuckled. "I know but that's how life is. Just by meeting a person your life can change. Maybe even your Sachiko-sama's life has changed for the better having met Yumi-san."

"Whah? I doubt that," Yumi said is reply. Yumi didn't believe that not having to dance with a male, even one like Kashiwagi-san, could qualify for a ' _better life_ ' in anyone's book.

"I don't know," Tsutako-san mused as they walked. "People all the time want what they don't have. Perhaps Sachiko-sama didn't want a little sister like herself and that was partially why she picked you."

Yumi just shook her head. "She picked me because she didn't want to dance with a certain male student from Hanadera," Yumi said as they turned the corner and went down the stairs before entering the courtyard and heading towards the other school building where the election committee was holding the meeting to go over the rules with the candidates.

Tsutako-san nodded agreeing with her friend in part. "That may have been part of the reason though I don't believe it was all of it." Yumi suddenly recalled something Tsutako-san had said to her a long time ago, ' _Sometimes people that are meant to be together are drawn to each other even if they don't know it_ '. "Why hasn't Sachiko-sama found a new Petite Sœur yet? Why haven't you found a new Onee-sama for that matter? You're cute, bright and fun to be with. If I was a second year I would ask you to be my little sister."

"I don't know," Yumi replied with a shrug even though a blush seeped across her cheeks upon hearing that her friend thought so highly of her. An image of herself sitting for an endless series of snapshots suddenly flashed through her mind. _That's how it would be if I was Tsutako's little sister I'll wager_ , she told herself. As if in confirmation of her thoughts the sound of the shutter of the only camera on hand was heard suddenly.

"That was a new expression, Yumi-san," Tsutako said lowering her camera. "What were you thinking about just now," she inquired seriously.

"I don't really have a need for an Onee-sama right now," Yumi said hoping to distract the photography ace. In all honesty, the thought of Sachiko-sama with a little sister was just as depressing as herself with a new Onee-sama she realized. The events of that afternoon had really driven home the point that Sachiko-sama was the only Onee-sama for her and that she would just have to do without if that was the case.

"Perhaps the answer to both questions is the same," Tsutako-san said giving her friend a shrewd sideways glance, "You both still have one."

"One what," asked Yoshino as she walked up to her two classmates who had stopped for the moment as they talked. Tsutako gave her a quick recap of their conversation upon seeing the confused look on Yumi's face. "You could be right," the petite girl said nodding her head as she pondered the other girl's words.

"One what," Yumi asked bewildered still.

"She's as sharp as a tack," Tsutako stated with a resigned sigh.

"..and just as painful," added Yoshino regarding her closest friend who meant the world to her but whom she knew was slow picking up on certain things. Especially when they concerned Sachiko-sama and herself. "It's alright," Yoshino said with a smile upon seeing her best friends pouting look. "It's just one of your many endearing qualities, Yumi-san" she said laying her hand on Yumi' arm and giving it a gentle squeeze. _I'm beginning to wonder just how many_ 'endearing' _qualities I have_ , Yumi thought to herself.

Tsutako reached into her pocket and removed a small notebook and flipped through till she found the page she was looking for, "Kanina Shizuka, Second-year Wisteria class, attendance number ten. She's in the choir as well as a member of the library committee."

Yumi's eyes and ear perked up upon hearing this. _No, it couldn't be…could it?_

"Rosa Canina because her name is Kanina," Yoshino said in disbelief. "I hope she didn't pick that name herself," the girl with twin braids said with a short laugh. "How simple," Yoshino finished with shaking her head slightly once more in disbelief.

"Apparently her classmates stuck her with it," Tsutako provided. "I heard she was against it but finally gave in to the pressure of her supporters and accepted it. Once she announced her desire to run her entire class decided to support her effort. She turned down a chance to study abroad in Italy last year to remain here at Lillian, though she could go to any school with the talent she has," Tsutako stated, snapping the notebook closed and returning it to her pocket as she completed her report.

_It's good to have friends_ , Yumi thought with a soft smile. _One what_ , she continued to ponder as the other two exchanged information. Going over her previous conversation with Tsutako-san she was still confused though she thought she might have an idea what the photography ace had meant. _I haven't found a new Onee-sama because I still see Sachiko-sama as my Onee-sama? So that would mean that Sachiko-sama hasn't found a new Sœur because she still sees me as hers? That's just not possible!_

"Wait, is this the same Lady Kanina that sang Aria at the school festival last year," Yoshino suddenly asked. Tsutako nodded that it was. "She's almost famous," the smaller girl said in awe. "Her performance was nothing short of amazing. I certainly didn't expect it to be her running in the election."

"Well, I don't believe that Rei-sama has anything to fear," Tsutako said as they started walking once more. "Your Onee-sama is known as Mr. Lillian and has a large following. Sachiko-sama is understandably the most popular girl in the entire school," Tsutako said over her shoulder to the trailing brunette behind her. "So her position is secure. Of the three Shimako-san will probably have the most difficult time being only a first year herself." It was normal for the Bouton's to be second year students so the fact that Shimako was only a first year student could mean that a second year student running might be favored over a first year student.

As they were walking Yoshino suddenly dropped a bomb into the conversation. "I heard Sachiko-sama and Onee-sama talking about Kanina-san and that she had been a possible candidate for Rosa Gigantea's Petite Sœur," Yoshino stated as if it was nothing.

"What!" Tsutako and Yumi exclaimed in perfect unison stopping in their tracks once again upon hearing this. Yumi secretly thought that Yoshino had waited till the perfect moment to inform them of that piece of information.

Yoshino nodded pausing to turn and face the two of them with a knowing look. "They were discussing it today at lunch," she replied to the unspoken questions of the two girls with her. All three girls understood the implications of this latest piece of news. If Rosa Canina was of that caliber, to be a possible Petite Sœur to one of the current Roses, then there was a good chance that she might actually win in the election. The three girls resumed walking, falling into step with each other, as they were all lost in their own thoughts.

Ahead of them was a large gathering of girls outside of one of the classrooms, Yumi suspected it was where the election briefing was being held. "If you'll excuse me Yumi-san, Yoshino-san, I promised the newspaper club that I would take some photos of the candidates," Tsutako said holding up her ever present camera. Yumi only nodded, lost in her own thought till she heard the all too familiar click of the shutter and she realized that her friend had taken yet another photo of her. "I think I'll call that one ' _Pondering the Future_ '," Tsutako-san said with a grin before turning away and working to get through the crowd of girls.

Yumi barely noticed her leaving, lost in her own thoughts. _Could Tsutako-san be correct_ , she wondered. _Does Sachiko-sama still see me as her Petite Sœur? But why would she?_ Try as she might Yumi couldn't fathom a logical reason why the beautiful Sachiko-sama would still think of her as such. _I gave Sachiko-sama's rosary back to her even though I knew it upset her._ It just made no sense to the younger girl. Yumi knew the later part of what Tsutako-san had said was the truth. She herself had arrived at that conclusion, that there was no other Onee-sama for her other than the raven haired beauty who could never be her Onee-sama again, some time ago. _Not after what I did_ , Yumi thought to herself with a resigned sigh of regret _. I guess I really do regret it now._

A sudden commotion within the crowd of girls surrounding the door to the classroom suddenly drew her attention. She could see the door to the room open and several people walked out of the room. She was a little ways away from the crowd and being not overly tall she couldn't see who was where. It appeared that of those that exited the room one turned and went in the direction away from her while the other three turned in her general direction and were slowly making their way through the crowd of girl's intent upon wishing them well in the upcoming election. Soon she could see Rei-sama, Shimako-san and her Sachiko-sama as they neared the edge of the crowd. Right away she could tell something was wrong with the girl she greatly adored and admired.

**-oOo-**

"…and you can hang posters in the designated areas. You'll also be allowed a ten minute speech upon the day of the election just prior to opening of voting." Sachiko sat staring down at the paper on the desktop before her rather than listening to the election committee member's directions. Next to her on one side were Shimako and Rei and on her opposite side was Kanina Shizuka or Rosa Canina as her followers had taken to referring to her as.

Rei sat up straight in her chair and listened to the directions with a focused concentration Sachiko suspected she had learned doing kendo. Shimako sat next to her with a serene smile upon her face, certain of her place within the world. _So why am I the only one having doubts_ , Sachiko asked herself? As she pondered the three current en Bouton's she felt that of them it was likely that she herself would lose in the election. Rei was strong and very much the ' _Prince of Lillian_ ' as she was known. With the support of the sports clubs and many of the underclassman that saw Rei as a romantic figure to swoon over, her being elected was nearly a given. Shimako, who was often referred to as the ' _The Holy_ _Mother of Lillian_ ' exuded an aura of gentle calmness. The first year student need only smile and even the teachers would be falling over themselves trying to cast votes for her.

_What of myself?_ Sachiko well knew what she was thought of by the student body. Beautiful, graceful, intelligent as well as cold, distant and standoffish. While she was referred to as the ' _Princess of Lillian_ ' she was also known by another name, The Ice Princess. She had acquired this name last year during the Valentine's Day ritual of giving chocolate to those you admire. It happened when she had been presented with a long line of girls wishing to bestow gifts of chocolate upon her. "I cannot accept this," she had told the first one in line. "Why should I when I have no feelings for you? The same holds true for the rest of you as well," she had voiced to those waiting in line. Sachiko believed that as she did not know these girls then it would be wrong of her to accept their presents. It would have been a different matter if they had been friends beforehand however they were not. In many cases they weren't even classmates.

Sitting there a depressing thought came to mind. _Onee-sama will be graduating in a couple of months and I don't even have a Petite Sœur yet. Even when I had one I couldn't keep her!_ Images of a certain brunette with ribbons in her hair came to mind suddenly. _I can't even manage to find someone to replace Yumi_. Hearing the girl's name, even if only in her own head, just depressed her further. Even though she had told Youko-sama that Yumi was the one, she hadn't found a chance as yet to see the younger girl. This fact, along with the election and the entrance of the unknown variable in Rosa Canina all combined to place the Ogasawara heiress in a deep and dark mood.

When the meeting was over she stood and walked out with Rei and Shimako. Those girls that offered her words of encouragement received polite thanks and a smile in return. The two en Bouton's, perhaps sensing that something was amiss with their friend, took up places on either side of her much like an honor guard and escorted her through the crowd. Lost in her own thoughts Sachiko walked between the two other girls not really paying attention to where they were going.

"Gokigenyou, Rei-sama, Shimako-san," Yumi offered as the three of them drew near and then stopped before the younger girl. Yumi regarded the third member of the trio that was so lost in thought that she didn't even look up as the three of them stopped walking. _It's like she's on auto pilot_ , Yumi thought to herself, her concern sky rocketing through the roof. "Sachiko-sama," Yumi said softly but received no response. Reaching out the younger girl laid a hand upon the arm of the raven haired beauty before her. "Sachiko-sama," she tried again.

Slowly, blue eyes looked up and regarded the girl before them. "Yumi," Sachiko said in a soft questioning tone as if she were uncertain if she was awake or in a dream. Without realizing it the upperclassman's hands moved on their own accord and straightened the younger girl's collar before slim delicate fingers descended and untied, then retied the white sailor scarf expertly. Rei and Shimako exchanged an amused glance with each other while this occurred. "You should always be mindful of your appearance," Sachiko said in a hollow and dazed voice. "Maria-sama is watching us," she added as she released the ends of the scarf.

Yumi allowed her collar to be adjusted and her tie to be redone, feeling very nostalgic as it had been a daily occurrence when they had been Sœur's. As the pair of hands removed themselves from her scarf Yumi reached up and captured both hands in hers and drew them to her chest, holding then tenderly there. "Sachiko-sama," she said once more and waited. The sapphire eyes regarded their hands for a long moment before finally climbing upwards to meet the pair of concerned filled brown eyes anxiously regarding her. "You _will_ win this," Yumi stated placing heavy emphases on the will part of her comment. Never had the young brunette ever come so close to giving another person a command before in her life, with the exception of her younger brother Yuuki and then only when they were younger.

Something in the tone of Yumi's voice resonated deep within Sachiko and stirred to life something that had been dormant for a very long time. Her will to never lose. Sachiko blinked rapidly several times, her eyes dropping for a moment to her captured hands and then back to the cute face framed by matching pigtails before her. _Yumi wants me to win_. Sachiko took a slow steady breath as if she was waking from a long slumber. _She has faith in me_. The Princess of Lillian stood up straighter, rolling her shoulders to square them up before she nodded slightly towards her former Petite Sœur. "Just so," she replied in a determined tone. Yumi's answering smile nearly made her knees buckle. With a determined stride the revitalized Sachiko lead the other two en Bouton's past the younger girl and towards the Rose Mansion. Still, as she stepped past her former Sœur, she couldn't help but wonder why the smaller girl was blushing such a beautiful shade of pink.

Yumi smiled brightly upon hearing the sound of determination in the older girl's voice. _That's the Sachiko-sama I know and love_ , she thought to herself and then felt her cheeks begin a slow burn as she blushed from having admitted, even if only to herself, that she loved the girl before her.

In ten days there was an assembly for all the high school students and the candidates all were allowed to address the students. As Sachiko was about to begin her speech her eyes unerringly found Yumi in the sea of girls seated below the stage. The older girl could only take the look upon the younger girls face as a clear challenge. A challenge for Sachiko to do her best, which was exactly what she did. To do any less would be to let down her future little sister. When the election results were announced Rei, Shimako and herself would be the next Roses. Sachiko searched for Yumi to thank her for everything however she couldn't find the cute younger brunette anywhere.


	5. Act V

"Rosa Foetida en Bouton," Rei heard called out behind her as she walked down the hallway from her classroom. Turning she saw a cute face with brown eyes and matching pigtails that she knew well.

"Yumi-chan," Rei exclaimed happily, not having seen the younger girl since before the elections. Pausing she waited for Yumi to catch up with her. "Gokigenyou ," the older of the two offered in way of greeting. "Are you on your way home," she asked as classes were over for the day. Rei had finished with Kendo lessons for the day and was herself on her way home.

"Gokigenyou," Yumi said with a bow and a warm smile at the older girl who she hadn't seen in several weeks. "No, actually I was looking for you," replied in a serious tone of voice alerting the other girl that this was more than a chance meeting between friends.

"Me," Rei asked surprised by Yumi's words. If Yumi had asked after Yoshino she would have understood as the two of them had become fast friends and spent a good deal of time together. As much as possible with Yoshino's Yamayurikai responsibilities and the school work they all shared as the end of the semester drew closer. "I feel honored," Rei added with a playful smile.

Yumi nodded still smiling. "Remember how you said if there was ever anything I needed that I could ask you," the younger said. Rei recalled having said that last year around the time of Yoshino's operation so she nodded that she remembered. "I need to learn how to make chocolates," Yumi declared forcefully.

"Chocolates," Rei echoed back to the other girls words completely surprised by the request. "Is there a particular kind you're looking to make?" It was common knowledge that Rei-sama was a confectionary master. Yumi had listened often enough to Yoshino going on about the latest cake or chocolate that her cousin had recently made. While Yumi had, on occasion, requested that her friend bring her some to try, Yoshino always stated that sadly there was never any left to do so.

"I…I was hoping you could suggest what kind would be best," Yumi asked hesitantly. "I've never made them before," she admitted.

Rei chuckled once she got over the shock of the request. "This wouldn't happen to be for anyone I know would it Yumi-chan?" she asked with a knowing grin. Yumi's answering blush and inability to meet her gaze was all the answer she needed.

**-oOo-**

Though a late storm had blown through the day before, the sun shone brightly upon the start of Valentine's Day. Sachiko stepped off the bus and strode through the front gates of Lillian's Girls Academy as she did every day though today she was exceptionally early. Today was the day she needed to hide her red card. The newspaper club, with the consent of the Roses, had arranged to hold a treasure hunt of sorts. The winners would each receive a half day date with the en Bouton whose card they found. While personally against such an event, her Onee-sama had pointed out that it would be a great way to bring the students closer to the Yamayurikai.

As the second year student strode along the walkway she knew that she was being watched but then she was always being watched so she thought nothing of it. As she neared the back area of the campus she paused upon seeing a certain brunette with pigtails ahead of her entering the old greenhouse which was her destination as well. For a long moment she stood there uncertain if she should proceed or return later. It was her intention to hide her card in the greenhouse but that would be hard to do with Yumi in there. _Why is she here so early and of all places why is she going into the greenhouse?_ In the end, her curiosity got the better of her and making her way to the greenhouse door she opened it and slipped in as quietly as possible. She failed to notice the other pair of eyes that watched her and then crept up to the outside of the greenhouse and spied within while listening through a partially broken piece of glass at the back side.

"So how are we today," Yumi asked as she turned the water off and carried the watering can over to the Chinensis rose bush. Near the door Sachiko's heart skipped a beat fearing she had been found out but she realized that Yumi wouldn't address her that way without a proper greeting first. "You weren't looking to well a few days ago," the brunette continued unaware that she was no longer alone. "I must say that your leaves are starting to pick up once again." Tipping the watering can she allowed a generous amount to moisten the soil before standing and proceeding to a number of the potted plants. "I was really worried about you there for a while. You ought not to have worried me like that," she chided the rose bush. "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you," Yumi told the other plants not far from where she was. "I'll get to you just as soon as I'm finished here," she promised.

Just inside the door to the greenhouse Sachiko could help but smile at hearing the other girl's affectionate tone as she talked to the plants and took care of them. _She really is very sweet_ , Sachiko thought to herself. Feeling a little guilty for listening in unawares on the younger girl Sachiko opened and closed the greenhouse door rather loudly and then made her way through the hanging plants towards the back of the greenhouse where Yumi was.

"S…Sachiko-sama! Gokigenyou," she quickly added bowing slightly with a smile upon her face seeing the older girl walking towards her.

"Gokigenyou, Yumi," Sachiko replied with a smile as well. "So you're the little fairy that's been taking care of all the plants in here," she said looking at the watering can still in Yumi's hand. "Please," she said gesturing to the potted plants, "don't let me stop you."

"Not really," Yumi replied turning and watering another plant. "Only the last few days have I been taking care of them. I noticed that the soil was dry so I figured whoever usually maintained them must be busy," she explained. "Some of the plants were beginning to wilt so I just thought I would help out a little. It's really nothing," Yumi stated.

"I see," Sachiko said as she moved to an empty spot and took a seat. _Always thinking of others_ , Sachiko thought to herself. This was one of the many things she had come to realize and love about the younger girl. _She helps out where ever she sees a need for it even if she isn't asked to do so._ "Do you come here often then?"

Yumi absently nodded. "I come here to think or to read sometimes," she answered truthfully as she had no reason not to admit this. "For some reason most people tend to forget this greenhouse is here. I imagine the plants get kind of lonely," she stated pausing in her watering as she thought about it. "So sometimes I just come and talk to them," Yumi admitted blushing slightly as she was certain any others would think her silly for doing so.

"Really? Me too," Sachiko exclaimed. "I wonder why we've never run into each other before this," she pondered. Yumi turned away to water another plant as well as to hide the smile that appeared upon her face as she realized that her former Onee-sama not only didn't think she was silly but also did the same thing on occasion. "Plants are the perfect listeners," Sachiko said reaching out and gently brushing one of the leaves of the potted plant next to her. "They don't judge you for your thoughts and they never interrupt you either." Both of them giggled at her words as they knew Sachiko-sama detested being interrupted. "Some people believe that talking to plants help them grow so I guess it is a win win situation for all."

Yumi shrugged slightly as she leaned between two plants to reach one further in the back. "Perhaps we haven't stumbled into each other due to our different schedules," she offered over her shoulder as she busied herself watering another plant. "If the weather is nice I sometime go to the roof of the school building instead. There's a nice view of the city from the roof of the main building however as most students use that one it's hard to finds a quiet place. The club house building is not nearly as tall but from its roof top you can only see the tops of the surrounding trees which is a pleasant view."

"I'll have to keep that in mind once the weather gets warmer," Sachiko stated thoughtfully. "You could always come to the Rose Mansion if you're looking for a quiet place," the raven haired beauty offered in what she hoped was a casual tone of voice to which she just received a ' _hmmm'_ of acknowledgementfrom the other girl. "It looks like it will be a nice day for the event," Sachiko offered, changing the topic of conversation.

"Oh that's right, today is the en Bouton Treasure hunt isn't," Yumi asked to which Sachiko simply nodded. Sensing the nod, as she wasn't looking in the older girl's direction to actually see it, Yumi moved to the next potted plant to water. "Is that why you're here so early today?"

"Partially," Sachiko replied watching the younger girl care for the plants tenderly. "Do you plan on participating in the event," she asked in an off-handed manner to disguise her desire for her former Sœur to take part in the event.

"No, I don't think so," Yumi responded without noticing the look of disappointment that momentarily flashed across the older girls face before being hidden away. "I had you to myself for two weeks," Yumi said with a gentle smile turning to regard her former Onee-sama, "it would seem a little overly possessive of me if I found your card and won the half day date. I think some of the other students might get jealous as well."

"I would hardly say rehearsing for the play and learning to dance qualify as ' _to yourself_ '," Sachiko said with a reminiscent smile of her own recalling that time last year. "As I recall we had very little time to ourselves as we were busy getting ready for the fall festival." Yumi returned the now empty watering can to the shelf where she had previously taken it from. Turning back to face Sachiko she simply nodded realizing that those times, while cherished, were now in the past. "You could find Rei's or Shimako's card you know?" Even Sachiko could hear the note of displeasure in her voice at the thought of Yumi claiming the date with someone else.

"I wouldn't be looking for theirs," Yumi stated clearly seeing no reason to deny it as she knew it was the truth. The young brunette had wrestled with the idea of taking part in the treasure hunt but had decided that very morning as she was stepping off the bus that it wouldn't be fair to the other girls or to Sachiko-sama. "Well, I should be getting to class," she offered with a soft smile just as the warning bell sounded in the distance.

"I'll walk with you then if you don't mind," Sachiko offered standing and brushing the back of her skirt off.

"N…no, not at all," Yumi replied as the smile on her face grew larger upon hearing the older girls words. "I would like that." Yumi turned and bowed to the plants. "I'll see you tomorrow," she told them affectionately. "Do your best!"

Sachiko chuckled to herself and then led the way out of the greenhouse. Neither girl noticed the girl that slipped from around the back of the greenhouse and made her way off to the side so as not to be noticed by the pair walking side by side. "I never knew you held such affection for plants," Sachiko said as they walked along.

Yumi shrugged as if it was nothing major. "Plants are alive and need nurturing as well. Perhaps more so than people do as plants can't do it for themselves," Yumi replied. "It doesn't take a great deal of effort after all."

"So you like being helpful," Sachiko inquired further, "like taking care of the greenhouse when its usual caretaker is absent."

Yumi's brows furled slightly as she tried to explain her feelings to the older girl. "I think I like to help others and to be needed. If I see someone, or in this case something, that needs my help and I can help, then I do."

"I see," Sachiko replied back in an equally thoughtful tone of voice. "You don't have the ability not to help if you can."

"Exactly!" Yumi exclaimed happy that of all people Sachiko-sama seemed to understand her. Somehow it didn't surprise her that the older girl understood her so well.

"I envy you that Yumi," the raven haired girl confessed. "I wish that I was more like you," Sachiko said in such a manner that there was no doubting the authenticity of her words. The two girls walked on in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Sachiko walked Yumi to class and then the pair parted ways after saying good bye to each other. Sachiko made it to her own class just before the bell. If her classmates wonder why she was almost late they wondered about the joyous smile upon her face even more. _Just seeing Yumi brightens my day_ , Sachiko thought to herself, amazed at the affect the younger girl had on her and just how much her own affections were growing for the cute brunette with pigtails.

**-oOo-**

"But it was right here," Sachiko exclaimed for the third time, her sapphire eyes flashing angrily at Minako-san, the editor from the newspaper club. The gathered crowd of students all took a collective step backwards from the building aura of anger they could sense from the Rosa Chinensis en Bouton.

"I believe you," Minako said yet again as Tsutako-san stepped forward and snapped several pictures of the shallow hole in the soil before the Chinensis rose bush. "Maybe someone found it and then didn't feel comfortable coming forth with it," she offered in an attempt to calm her classmate.

"Why wouldn't they feel comfortable," Sachiko snapped out angrily causing those gathered to take another step back. "What possibly could have frightened them from doing so?" Minako wisely didn't voice her thoughts that just such a display of anger could possibly be the reason. Seeing the raven haired woman's anger first hand, Minako was convinced that even a third year student might shy away from presenting the card for the date, fearful of not living up to the other girl's expectations. "No," Sachiko stated taking a deep breath and calming herself. "No, Saint Valentine has played a practical joke on us today," she said with a nod.

"That must be it," Minako readily agreed, willing to accept anything that would calm the second year student. "As no one turned the card in within the allotted time frame we'll have to declare that the card wasn't found at all." Sachiko nodded slightly, willing to accept it as a prank even if it was at her expense. Minako breathed a sigh of relief. "Then we'll publish it as not found. Alright people, that's it for today. You can all go home now," she said to the remaining students as she started to herd them out the greenhouse door like a shepherd with her flock.

Sachiko remained standing there starring at the empty hole, where she had placed her red card, for some time after all the others had left. Finally with a resigned sigh that she may never know what happened to it she left the greenhouse, turning off the lights and closing the door behind her. The second year student made her way back to the Rose Mansion to retrieve her coat and school bag. The second floor room was empty and from the looks of it Shimako and Yoshino had finished the cleanup from the event that day. Sachiko smiled as she recalled the look on her Onee-sama's face upon seeing all the students inside the Mansion as well as hanging around outside it. Youko-sama had always wanted to have the students become closer to the student council and today's event had done just that. With graduation only a few weeks away Sachiko was glad that her Onee-sama was able to see her wish become a reality. The thought of her beloved Onee-sama's graduation caused the blue eyed girl to frown as she knew she was going to miss her greatly. _How am I going to manage without her?_

It was upon that sad note that she left the Rose Mansion and made her way to her shoe locker to change into her outdoor shoes. When she opened the door to her locker she saw a carefully folded piece of paper lying on top of her shoes. With an inward groan, suspecting it to be a confession related to Valentine's Day and already having had her fill for one year, she was about to move it aside and look at it tomorrow when she decided she might as well read it now. Sachiko's blue eyes widened upon reading the single sentence.

_Please meet me in the Rose Mansion after the event._

The note itself wasn't signed and there was nothing else to indicate who it was from. Sachiko's first thought was of Yumi. _No, she said she wasn't participating in the event_ , she reminded herself. _She probably already left for home a while ago_ , she reasoned. _Whoever found the card must be shy and just wants to return it to me without others around_ , she reasoned as she retraced her steps towards the Rose Mansion. As soon as she thought that though her heart hurt as she knew it wouldn't be the one person she really wanted it to be. A few moments later found her back in the Rose mansion and seated at the table with her back to the biscuit colored door. Hearing the bottom door open and close she rose to her feet but remained facing away from the door. _Please let it be her_ , she silently prayed even though she knew it wouldn't be. The slow steady tread upon the stairs could easily be heard. _Maria-sama please let it be her!_ Behind her she heard the door open and a soft step enter the room.

"I have something for you," said the soft voice of the only person she wanted it to be yet had believed it wasn't possible for it to be.

"Yumi," Sachiko exclaimed loudly spinning around to see her former Petite Sœur standing next to the doorway with a small box of chocolates wrapped with a red ribbon and topped with a same color bow, in her hands. Sachiko didn't know if she should be happy or disappointed. She had hoped that Yumi was the one to find her card and was bringing it back however upon turning around she saw no card. Still, that Yumi had brought her chocolates was something almost as equally as thrilling. Caught between warring emotions of disappointment and excitement she froze, unable to say anything or even move.

Seeing the older girl just standing there Yumi suddenly began to have second thoughts. _Was I wrong in doing this? Maybe I shouldn't have._ "I'm sorry," Yumi stammered after a long moment of awkward silence hung between them. "I know you don't like chocolates and all, but I really tried my best,' Yumi said, the words falling out of her mouth in a never ending stream it seemed. "I just couldn't help it. I thought of you on Valentine's Day not getting anything and I…it just didn't seem right! I asked Rei-sama to teach me how to make chocolates. I mean I knew you didn't like them but still…." Yumi's words trailed off as she was near the point of tears feeling that she had made a mistake in doing this or even coming here.

The raw emotion in Yumi's voice finally freed the older girl from her mind numbing paralysis. "Yumi," Sachiko said softly to the younger girl who was staring at the floor blinking back the tears that threatened to spill out at any second. Sachiko crossed the distance between them and gently laid a curled index finger under the smaller girl's chin and lifted till those large watery brown eyes met hers. "Whoever told you I hated chocolate," she asked gently as she wiped away with her thumb the first tear that spilled forth.

"Y…you mean…but I thought…," Yumi stammered as Sachiko reached into her pocket and withdrew a pristinely white lace handkerchief with the letter S embroidered on the corner of it and dabbed it at the younger girl's eyes. "But last year…" Yumi trailed off unable to gather her thoughts with Sachiko-sama this close to her while gazing into her eyes. The rich floral scent that surrounded the blue eyed Princess was intoxicating to the smaller girl. The blue eyes that regarded her so intently seemed mesmerizing and she couldn't have looked away even if she had wanted to.

"Ah," Sachiko finally caught onto what the other girl was referencing. "That was because I didn't know any of them. Really Yumi, would you accept sweets from perfect strangers," she inquired in a slightly unbelieving tone. Yumi thought she probably would if they were students of Lillian after all. "It just didn't seem right to accept their affections when I had none for them in return," the older girl clarified as she released Yumi's chin and retuned the wet handkerchief to her pocket. Sachiko hands instantly rose and adjusted Yumi's collar. "Besides," she added as her fingers untied and retied the younger girls sailor scarf, "Do you have any clue how much weight I would have gained if I had eaten all of that chocolate! Really! Just the thought of it makes my stomach hurt," she said with a grin.

Yumi couldn't help but smile back at the image the older girl's words brought to mind. "Well, when you put it that way maybe I shouldn't give you this," she said moving the box of chocolate to behind her back.

Sachiko reached out and relieved the younger girl of the box of chocolates before they could completely disappear behind the younger girl's back. "…however there is nothing wrong with a little bit of chocolate now and then," Sachiko said with a serious nod as she clutched the box of chocolate to her own chest possessively.

Yumi chuckled not all dismayed about having the chocolates taken from her as they were for her Sachiko-sama anyway. "Shall I make us some tea and you can tell me about the event today," Yumi offered. _Sachiko-sama accepted my chocolates! Wait! Does that mean she has feelings for me?_ Yumi's heart fluttered in her chest as she made her way to the kitchenette area in the corner.

"That would be lovely I think," Sachiko said with a soft smile as she returned to her seat at the table and set the box of chocolates down carefully. "Shouldn't I," she started with just realizing something, "be the one severing you as technically you are a guest here now?"

"Allow me," Yumi replied with back over her shoulder, already filing the pot with water from the sink, "for old time's sake," she added with a smile of her own at the memories that returned to her as she prepared tea for them. "So, how did the event go?"

Sachiko sat back in her chair and recounted the events of that afternoon. Sitting there conversing with Yumi in this manner brought back fond memories of last year. She informed the younger girl of the finders of the other cards and also admitted that someone had made off with her own card. "Onee-sama was so happy to see so many students here at the mansion," Sachiko concluded with as the water finished heating and Yumi prepared the tea.

"There is a large distance between the members of the Yamayurikai and the regular student body," Yumi offered over her shoulder. "It's not so much that others are afraid to speak to you but rather like they have set you on a pedestal and are afraid of knocking you off of it."

"We never wanted to be placed there," Sachiko commented back watching the younger girl in the corner as she had many time before, though not for several months now.

"No, they did," Yumi clarified. "Everyone needs to have something, a goal to strive towards. If they get too close to the Yamayurikai they'll discover that the Roses, Rei-sama, yourself, basically that all of you are no different than themselves. Should that happen then they suddenly have nothing to aspire towards," Yumi replied as she removed a packet of sugar and powdered milk from the cabinet for her tea. "To their way of thinking it is safer to maintain a respectful distance."

"I think Onee-sama wishes that wasn't the case," Sachiko said in way of reply. "I can't say that I don't agree with her either. A student council you can't approach isn't all that affective I would think."

"Maybe not," Yumi offered with a slight shrug of her shoulders, "but it has worked for a long time now. Look at it this way," the brunette girl offered as her pigtails swayed back and forth as she worked, "the Yamayurikai offer them hope and something to aspire to. Everyone needs a little hope in their lives."

"I suppose so," Sachiko said in a resigned tone unable to come up with a solution to the problem at the moment. "I didn't know you knew how to make chocolates, Yumi," Sachiko said eyeing the gift box on the table by her hand.

"I don't, or didn't," she hastily corrected. "I asked Rei-sama to teach me," she explained as she took out two cups and spooned in tea leaves and then added the sugar and creamer to one. "Those," she said nodding in the direction of the present," were my seventh attempt on my own, using what she taught me," she admitted blushing at her own failures but willing to admit them to the woman seated at the table. The aroma of tea filled the room as Yumi added the water which was near boiling at this point.

"Seven? My goodness!" _All that work!_ Sachiko couldn't believe that someone would go through all that just for her. Sachiko reached for the box. "I'm quite certain th…" whatever else she was going to say froze in her throat as she opened the box and there lying atop the chocolates was her red card.

"Gomennasai," Yumi said setting a cup of steaming tea before the stunned girl who couldn't seem to pull her eyes from the card resting within the box before her. "It would seem that I was overly selfish earlier today as well Sachiko-sama," Yumi said as she took the seat next to the other girl and faced the table looking down at her cup of tea. "I really wasn't going to participate in the treasure hunt," she explained. "I was sitting in the classroom and suddenly I knew where you had placed your card. You told me last year not to forget the Chinensis rose bush in the old greenhouse so I knew it was important to you." Yumi swallowed heavily. "You're important to me," the younger girl admitted in a soft whisper of a voice. "I just couldn't bear the thought of someone else going on a date with you."

Sachiko finally looked over at the girl sitting next to her who was looking intently at the cup of untouched tea on the table before her. Reaching out she gently caressed Yumi's cheek even as tears trickled down her own cheeks. "I…I wanted it to be you so badly," she manage to say in a voice that trembled with emotion.

"You…you don't hate me," Yumi asked even as a tear from her own cheek dropped heavily upon the table top as she leaned into the other girls touch.

"No," Sachiko quickly replied shaking her head. "I could never hate you, Yumi!"

Yumi turned towards Sachiko and before either knew it they were holding one another and crying on each other's shoulder. "I…I couldn't stand the thought of someone else with you," Yumi confessed once she had gotten control of her tears again.

Sachiko laughed softly reaching for her handkerchief once again. "At least we think alike," she said. "I hoped it was you and you didn't want it to be anyone other than you," she explained as she dabbed the tears from Yumi's face.

Yumi laughed as well. "Aren't we hopeless," she asked using her own handkerchief to dab at the older girls milky white cheeks. Sachiko smiled and simply nodded in agreement at her accurate assessment of the two of them.

Once they both had settled down enough Yumi went and made them fresh cups of tea. When Sachiko tasted hers it nearly burnt her lips. After taking a long sip she sighed contentedly. "That's the best cup of tea I've had in a long time," she stated. Yumi smiled at the compliment taking a sip of her own tea. "So," the raven haired beauty finally said.

"So?" Yumi asked echoing the older girl's words slightly puzzled by it as she took another sip of her tea.

Sachiko reached into the box and removed the red card shaking it slightly. "Where shall we go on our date," she asked. The sound of the younger girl choking next to her was her only response.

**-oOo-**

"You know what to do, right," Yumi inquired for the third time.

"Yes. Yes. I know," Sachiko replied as she had the previous two times she had been asked.

"You got it? Two hamburgers, two oolong teas and one medium fry," The young brunette mouthed once more.

"I got it the first time, Yumi. Really," Sachiko replied with a hint of irritation in her voice. "If they suggest anything else I'm to politely decline." The two of them moved forward as the line ahead of them moved.

When Yumi had suggested they eat at a fast food restaurant she had no idea that it would be breaking Sachiko-sama's seventeen yearlong streak of never having eaten at one before. "Oh here," she said as she handed the older girl an envelope with their combined money in it. They had difficulty deciding who would pay for what. Sachiko stated that as Yumi had won the date she should pay for the date and not the younger girl. Yumi had just a firmly declared that as the treasure hunt was officially over when the red card was handed in that Sachiko-sama was not obligated to pay as technically Yumi hadn't won the date. In the end they had agreed to limit the date to the same amount as the Valentine dates from the treasure hunt, 3000 yen, and that they would split the cost evenly.

They had met at the entrance to the train station at eleven o'clock that morning. Yumi had arrived almost an hour early she had been so excited. While standing near the ticket booth awaiting Sachiko-sama's arrival she had been greeted by her friend and photography ace Takeshima Tsutako-san. Yumi had learned that she was there at the request of the newspaper club, to see if she could get pictures of the date participants. It hadn't taken long for Tsutako to deduce that Yumi was there to meet Sachiko. Yumi was both thrilled that her friend knew her so well and a little frightened, however the photography ace assured her that she would not take pictures of her and Sachiko unless requested to.

They had just left a store where, with Yumi's assistance, the raven haired beauty purchased her first pair of jeans, a fact that had the younger girl's heart aflutter. _Sachiko-sama wanted a pair of jeans just like mine!_ If that hadn't been enough she had also requested to purchase a pair of sneakers like Yumi's as well. As it was well past the lunch hour they had decided to stop and eat first as the shoe store was at the other end of the shopping plaza.

The line continued to move and finally it was their turn. Yumi hung back and allowed the older girl to step to the counter. Even in a fast food place Sachiko looked beautiful Yumi thought as she watched. Sachiko placed their order and kindly declined to add an apple pie or to increase the size of the fries. The older girl reached into the envelope and extracted the required bills to pay for the meal. Yumi's heart swelled with pride watching the woman she admired greatly complete her first fast food transaction. Sachiko, her order placed and paid for stepped away from the counter and went to look for an open table leaving a very confused worker and a slightly embarrassed and bewildered Yumi behind. "It's her first time," Yumi offered the worker with an apologetic smile as she picked up the tray of food that the other girl had walked off without. The brunette quickly followed after Sachiko who had found them a table for two and had seated herself. Yumi walked up and carefully set the try down on the table before seating herself.

Sapphire eyes looked from the tray, to the younger girl across from her, back to the tray and then up once again. "They don't bring you your order," she asked in a disbelieving tone of voice.

Yumi nodded while setting her purse down next to her. "No, you have to carry it to your table yourself," she explained in a slightly accusing tone.

"You didn't tell me that part," Sachiko replied defensively with a frown.

"I assumed you would notice what the people in line before us were doing and so I didn't need to tell you," Yumi replied finding it hard to believe that the usually observant older girl hadn't noticed everyone else walking away with their food.

"I was going over what I was going to say," Sachiko replied in a tone of voice Yumi knew to mean she was not going to back down. "After you went on about it I was concerned and didn't want to embarrass you so I wasn't paying attention to anything else."

Yumi smiled softly at the blue eyed girl sitting across from her for a long moment. "You're right," she finally said having decided that arguing was the last thing she wanted to be doing today with Sachiko-sama. "I should have informed you about that part as well. The fault is mine." Yumi set a hamburger before each of them followed by an oolong tea and finally the fries were placed in the center of the table where they both could easily reach them. Once the meal was distributed, the younger girl set the tray aside so that it wouldn't be in the way.

Sachiko watched the younger girl's movements for the few moments it took to divide up what they had purchased. "No, the fault is mine," she stated apologetically. "You're right I should have been more observant of what others were doing."

Yumi couldn't help it and started to giggle. A flashback to their discussion on who was paying for what flashing into her head suddenly and for some reason she found this reflection of that conversation to be amusing. "How about if you share the blame or better yet we both learned something from the circumstances and so it wasn't a bad thing after all."

Sachiko smiled and nodded once in agreement. "My but you've become such a sensible girl," she said warmly.

Yumi could feel her cheeks heating into a soft blush and so busied herself with removing the wrapping paper from her hamburger instead of saying anything further. After a moment, she heard the crinkling of paper across from her as well letting her know that Sachiko was doing the same. Taking a bite of the hamburger Yumi glanced up through her bangs at the other girl only to see her looking around as if searching for something. In one of her rare moments of understanding she knew what was missing. Quickly, she swallowed her food before speaking. "If you like, I can go and ask them for a fork and knife," she offered.

Sachiko sat perplexed. She had been raised with the understanding that a sandwich was always to be eaten with a fork and knife. Her mind told her that before her were two pieces of bread with something between them. It clearly classified as a sandwich. What else could it be if not a sandwich? This wasn't the first time she had eaten a hamburger after all. Her chef at home made them occasionally however she had always eaten them with utensils upon those times. Sapphire eyes watched as Yumi took her first bite of the hamburger. _So, that's the proper way to eat when at a fast food restaurant?_ Sachiko nodded once when Yumi offered to get a knife and fork for her. "No, I can do this," she said in a tone filled with determination.

Yumi smiled reassuringly to her and watched as the heiress picked up the hamburger with both hands and took a small bite of it. _She even eats a hamburger with grace and beauty_ , Yumi thought in awe of the older girl. "I never doubted you for a moment Sachiko-sama," Yumi replied sincerely and then took another bite of her own meal. _It's been a day of firsts. Sachiko-sama's first pair of jeans, her first time eating fast food and soon her first time buying sneakers!_ Yumi smiled feeling warm inside at having been able to be a part of these firsts with Sachiko. She understood that in life these were small events that hardly mattered but it still made her happy to have been even a part of such small markers within the other girl's life. _Also my first date with Sachiko-sama!_ Yumi quickly took another bite as she could feel herself blushing again. To say it was their first date, at least in her mind, implied that there would be others yet to come. _Let's not get our hopes up_ , she warned herself. _For now I just want to enjoy this time with her and having her all to myself!_ Yumi smiled slightly realizing that as long as she was with Sachiko she had everything she needed for the day.

_I hope she's having fun_ , Sachiko pondered as she took a small bite of a fry she held in her hand. _It seems we're doing everything I want to do and nothing she wants to do._ The older girl observed the remainder of the French fry she held between her index finger and thumb for a long moment. _Who would have thought that I would be eating fast food today?_ The Rosa Chinensis en Bouton mentally chuckled at her next thought. _Who would have thought I would be sitting here with Yumi eating fats food?_ She knew that there was no one else she would rather be on a date with. _A date! I'm on a date with Yumi!_ Sachiko felt her heat skip a beat and quickly popped the remainder of the fry into her mouth and chewed it thoroughly. _I wonder if she's having a good time?_

They finished the rest of their meal while exchanging small talk on subjects that didn't amount to much but were none the less good for passing the time. As they stepped from the restaurant Yumi indicated they should go to the left. "The store I bought my sneakers at is almost to the end of the shops and then to the left," she explained to the other girl. The brunette was fairly certain that the dark haired girl walking next to her was not used to shopping in this type of area. It had taken Yumi no small amount of time to explain just what exactly ' _window shopping_ ' was and why people did it. Yumi saw a jacket that was on sale outside a clothing store that caught her eye and so she stopped to admire it. After regarding it for several minutes she turned to ask Sachiko opinion only to realize that the other girl was nowhere to be seen. _Where could she have gone_ , she wondered? Yumi looked back the way they had come and then in the direction of the where the shoe store was located. Yumi could hear her mother's voice in her head, _'If you get lost stay where you are. If you go running off we'll never find you'_. "Easier said than done, Mom," she mumbled to herself as the minutes passed and she continued to scan the crowds. There were definitely more people here than there had been earlier that afternoon and Yumi was beginning to get worried for the older girl who had wandered off.

Suddenly Yumi felt a presence within her personal space behind her and a pair of hands gripped her shoulders from behind. Before she could react she was spun around and a pair of delicate, yet surprisingly strong arms wrapped themselves around her. The rich floral scent to she knew to be Sachiko's enveloped her intoxicatingly. "I thought I had lost you," Sachiko said in near hysterical voice that trembled with what Yumi could only describe as fear. "I turned around and you were gone! I thought…I thought…" the older girl's words trailed off. _I can't tell her I thought she wasn't having fun and had left me._

"I'm sorry Sachiko-sama," Yumi quickly apologized looking up into the older girls face and seeing the tear filled sapphire eyes regarding her. "I d…didn't mean to make you w…worry," she stammered. "I stopped for a moment to look at something," She tried to explain. _Great I left her along in a shopping area filled with men! No wonder she's so upset!_

Sachiko felt bad upon hearing Yumi's words. "I was worried, Yumi," she admitted stepping back and holding the younger girl at arm's length. "Your parents have entrusted you into my care after all," she added matter-of-factly as she looked the girl over as if to assure herself that nothing was wrong with her. "I don't know what I would say to them should anything happen to you."

"It won't happen again, Sachiko-sama," Yumi assured her. "I promise!"

Sachiko reached out and adjusted the collar to Yumi's jacket and then ran her hands along the younger girl's shoulders gently. "See that it doesn't," she said. "I was worried but that's not all," Sachiko said glancing down as she played with the front of Yumi's jacket. "I thought…well maybe…you weren't enjoying your time and had decided to go home," the last was said in a whisper so quiet that Yumi almost missed it. Before the smaller girl could say anything Sachiko turned and walked off in the direction of the shoe store. "Coming Yumi," she asked over her shoulder as if nothing had happened at all.

Yumi quickly fell into step with the other girl as her mind raced and her heart threatened to stop completely. For a long moment Yumi was certain she had heard incorrectly. She rewound and played again those words, ' _I thought…well maybe…you weren't enjoying your time and had decided to go home_ '. Yumi reached out with the smallest finger on her left hand and wrapped the finger around the smallest finger on Sachiko's right hand as if to say ' _I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere_ '.

Sachiko felt the small finger wrap around hers and she curled hers around the smaller girls so that the fingers were linked. It was almost as if she was saying ' _I'm not going to let you go_ '. She could feel the warmth of Yumi's finger against hers and she found that comforting as well as reassuring. Without looking or saying a word to each other they walked through the crowd in the direction of the shoe store _. It's not the same as holding hands_ , Sachiko thought to herself with a contented smile, _but it is a beginning._ Later in that day they would buy sneakers, meet with friends and have tea while sharing a cake set. They would laugh and enjoy the company at that time, but for now they both found what they needed most in the warmth of a finger and the company of the person beside them.


	6. Act VI

Yumi approached the building with no small measure of trepidation. For two very short weeks the previous year she had called this building her home away from home, visiting before classes started in the morning, during lunch times and even after school. The Rose Mansion. She was a member of a small group of students which had actually stepped through the foreboding front door to tread upon the aged wooden floorboards beyond. Most students were content just walking past the weathered building, feeling they had come close to the Roses blossoming within. Few actually gathered the courage to enter the structure, and even those who did, only did so due to their related club activities rather than personal reasons. Yumi smiled in remembrance as her hand grasped the handle and opened the front door. The pale wooden boards beneath her indoor shoes creaked ominously as she traversed the short distance to the first stair. Climbing the well-worn stairway, her mind recalled the numerous times she had done this very deed with Sachiko-sama before her, the older girl's voice informing her of their tasks for the day or some change to the play or other item of importance.

_Sachiko-sama_ , she pondered, _whatever shall I do_? Two weeks had passed since their date and the younger girl could not get those sapphire eyes and the countenance of the older girl off her mind. This was Yumi's first visit to the Rose Mansion since the Valentine's Day event when she had presented the girl she admired with chocolates as well as her missing red card. It wasn't as if they hadn't seen each other since that day. Yumi made it a point to traverse the hallways outside the second year classrooms whenever she could in the hopes of seeing the girl she adored. Even Yumi, given the number of times Sachiko-sama's presence had raised a commotion within the first year hallways, was beginning to suspect their frequent meetings were not solely due to coincidence. "Gokigenyou," Yumi said with a warm smile as she stepped through the open biscuit-colored doorway once she reached the top of the stairs.

A pair of steel grey eyes and another of brown looked up at the same time as two sets of pink lips vocalized in unison, "Gokigenyou Yumi-san!" Shimako and Yoshino both looked to each other and then all three girls giggled, and just like that any awkwardness Yumi had felt vanished as she was among friends once more.

"Where can I help," Yumi asked as she walked further into the room and stopped near the chair she used to occupy. The other two girls paused, neither certain of where would be a good starting point for the new arrival. "How about I first get you both some fresh tea and when that is ready you can direct me?"

"Arigato, Yumi-san," Shimako replied with a radiant smile. 'We can't thank you enough for helping us with all of this," she said gesturing with one hands to the assortment of stacks of papers spread across the large table.

Their brunette classmate, pigtails swaying back and forth, walked over to the kitchenette area and took out three fresh cups. "That's what friends are for after all," Yumi replied with a shrug as her back was to the room. "I wouldn't be much of a friend," she said elaborating upon her previous words as she spooned tea into the cups and then poured hot water in and allowed the tea to steep, "if I didn't help when I could support you in your efforts. Everyone here is my friend after all."

"We're fortunate to have such thoughtful friends as Yumi then," said a melodious voice from the doorway which caused the younger girl to spin around in surprise not having heard anyone entering the front door or climbing the stairs.

"Some more than others," Yoshino said under her breath playfully to Shimako who hastily raised a hand to cover her mouth and the escaping laughter at the petite girl's comment.

"Sa…Sachiko-sama," Yumi sputtered for a moment before managing to get the remainder of what she wanted to say out. "Gokigenyou."

"Gokigenyou," Sachiko replied with a warm smile as she walked to her chair to set her school bag down and removed her coat, which Yumi quickly collected from her and hung up. "Rei and I have been so busy with the graduation committee that I fear most of the preparation work has fallen to Shimako and Yoshino," Sachiko said seating herself and offering a thankful smile to the two mentioned first year students. "I'm certain you'll be very helpful to us all, Yumi," Sachiko said towards her former little sister.

Yumi walked back to the kitchenette area feeling her cheeks blush slightly at the unexpected praise. Lifting a cup of tea from the counter she crossed and set it before Sachiko and then turned back to get the other two. Shimako and Yoshino looked at each other and shared a knowing grin, both understanding that everyone came second after Sachiko-sama in Yumi's mind. "I'll do my best," Yumi declared as she brought the remaining two cups of tea over and set one before Yoshino and one before Shimako before taking her former seat, the chair next to Sachiko's, and looking to her classmates. _Why are they smiling like that?_ "So, where can I help?"

Yoshino lifted a stack of request forms and handed them to her friend. "These are requests from various groups for support for what they have planned for the third year send off. If you can look through them and see what we can do for them or if another group can help them out, that would be a great place to start."

Yumi accepted the request forms and started sorting through them carefully. The Home Economics club wanted to have a café for the third year students to visit after the event but needed food items. Yumi recalled seeing a request for flour from the Baking club and after finding the form put it with the Home Economics request believing that the baked goods could be used for the café. Shuffling through several others she found the Floral Arrangement Club and added their request for flowers to the Home Economics and Baking ones as the flower arrangements would make great center pieces to the tables in the café. Yumi continued to sort through the requests till she felt a gentle touch upon her shoulder and looking up she was a little startled. "Sachiko-sama," she said in a slightly confused tone. Yumi had been so captivated by her work that several hours had passed without her even realizing it.

"You've been working so hard," Sachiko said with a smile as she set a cup of tea down before the younger girl. "I noticed you didn't have any tea so I thought you might like some," The raven haired beauty explained as she walked behind Yumi, one hand trailing across the younger girl's shoulders from one side to the other. "Do not push yourself too hard, Yumi," Sachiko cautioned as she took her seat again, her hand finally slipping from Yumi's shoulder much to the younger girls disappointment. "I think if you were to come each day that we'll be caught up in no time."

"Each day," Yumi repeated in a hesitant voice. "You wouldn't mind then?"

"Not at all," Sachiko assured her reaching for her own tea and taking a small sip of it. "You're a student here so we are _your_ student council after all," she replied stressing the word ' _your_ '. "However more than that, you are our friend and we have missed you here so please do come more often, Yumi." Shimako and Yoshino both nodded their agreement to this request.

"Is that so," Yumi replied in kind, dazed by what she had been told. It warmed her heart to know that she was still welcome to come to the Rose Mansion whenever she wanted to. Still bewildered that everyone would be so welcoming of her she brought the cup of tea to her lips and took a cautious sip of it. _Sachiko-sama made this tea just for me_ ," she thought to herself as her heart fluttered within her chest.

As the sun dipped below the horizon they decided to call it a day, and Yumi assisted with the cleaning up before they left. It all felt so natural and normal to her. Before long the four of them were walking towards the front gates of the Academy. "This all brings back so many memories," Yumi said to herself softly not really intending to give voice to her thoughts but saying it aloud none the less.

"Good ones," Sachiko said taking a deep breath and letting it out quickly, agreeing with the younger girls thoughts. "Very good ones," she corrected with a smile. Yoshino said her farewells at the gates to Lillian as she walked home. Shimako parted ways as well, taking a different bus than the one to the train station.

Yumi felt her cheeks still blushing from having spoken her thought aloud before, and so kept her mouth closed till she parted ways from Sachiko-sama at the train station. After dinner and a hot bath she finished her homework and was just trying to decide if she should go see what Yuuki was doing or maybe read a book when the telephone rang. Two steps and an arm reach later she had the receiver to her ear, "Fukuzawa residence," she answered.

"Good Evening. Gomennasai for such a late call. I'm second year Pine class Ogasawara Sachiko from Lillian Girl's Academy. May I please…"

"Sachiko-sama?" Yumi's voice quivered as she cut the older girl off in what she was pretty certain was a well-rehearsed greeting.

"Yumi? Oh I'm so glad it's you!" Yumi could hear the relief in the voice on the other end of the call. "I was afraid I wouldn't know how to address your parents if they answered the phone," Sachiko admitted. Yumi couldn't believe that someone of Sachiko's social standing would be worried about speaking to her parents. "I don't know what you've told them about me after all," the older girl finished.

"I told them that you're beautiful and smart as well as kind and caring," Yumi quickly stated to ease the other girls worries. "I said that I hoped to be like you one day."

"Not that I'm an ogre of a Senpai," Sachiko inquired in a humorous voice even though she was touched by what Yumi had said concerning her.

"Only a little," Yumi replied back causing both of them to giggle into the phone. "Sachiko-sama, was there something you needed," Yumi finally asked after a minute. She was ecstatic that Sachiko-sama had kept her phone number and had actually called, but she was also curious as to the reason for the call.

"Can't a girl call another girl when she wants to?" the upperclassman asked to which Yumi remained silent as she awaited the real reason for the call. "I see, you're not buying that answer. Alright, I was worried and wanted to make sure you arrived home safely," Sachiko finally admitted. "I also wanted to thank you for your help today."

_Sachiko-sama was concerned for my wellbeing!_ Yumi felt a warm wave sweep through her body and a smile spread across her face that lit up the entire room. "Arigato, Sachiko-sama, for looking after me" Yumi replied in a soft and tender voice that she hoped conveyed her own heart felt feelings for the older girl.

"I…I should probably let you get some sleep," Sachiko replied suddenly finding herself flustered by the younger girls emotional words of thanks and the tone in which they were spoken.

"Alright, good night, Sachiko-sama" Yumi replied wondering if Sachiko could feel her smile through the phone. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yes," Sachiko confirmed suddenly finding herself smiling as well. "I'll see you tomorrow, Yumi. Good night." Yumi hung up the phone after letting the older girl disconnect first. Turning off the lights she climbed into her bed and laid there with those final words lingering in her heart ' _I'll see you tomorrow, Yumi_ ' It was still some time before the cute brunette was able to fall asleep and it was even longer still till the smile slipped from her face.

**-oOo-**

"Yumi-chan!" The brunette with matching pigtails, upon hearing her name, stopped and turned around in one slow fluid movement as was proper for a lady to do. "Gokigenyou," the dark haired woman said with a smile as she walked up to the waiting girl. "I was hoping to speak to you."

"Gokigenyou, Rosa Chinensis," Yumi replied with a matching warm smile, pleased as always to see the older girl even if Youko-sama would be graduating tomorrow. Yumi tried for now not to think about that fact as it saddened her. While they had not spent a great deal of time together, the third year student still held a special place in Yumi's heart. _Youko-sama showed me kindness when I was with Sachiko-sama and even afterwards. She never questioned my decision either._ Yumi never received the impression that the older girl held her decision to return Sachiko-sama's rosary against her.

"Walk with me," Youko said setting off before the younger girl could mount a protest as classes were about to start. "I understand you've been helping at the Rose Mansion." Yumi nodded catching up and falling into step with the older girl. "Arigato for that, I'm certain the others appreciate all your hard work."

Yumi shrugged slightly as she walked. "I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't support them when they needed me," she explained as Youko led them down a different path which Yumi knew would take them to Milk Hall. It was the same thing she had told Yoshino and Shimako the previous week, the first day she had started to help them. With the graduation being tomorrow her time of being at the Rose Mansion was once again drawing to a close.

"I see," Youko said nodding slightly at the younger girls words. "So a friend's responsibility is to support their friends when needed?" she asked after a few moments of thought to make certain she understood what Yumi was saying correctly.

"Yes, if you can't help your friends then are you really a friend," Yumi confirmed as they walked through the doors and entered Milk Hall, which was fairly empty as classes were in sessions. "If you can't rely on your friends who can you rely on?" she asked rhetorically.

"Your Sœur," Youko quickly replied. "A Petite Sœur's job is to support their Onee-sama and be there for them while an Onee-sama's responsibility is to nurture and protect her little sister," she explained to the younger girl. "Sœur's are like friends, though perhaps much more," she added with a knowing smile. "I guess you can say they are family and you should always be able to count on your family, even more so than your friends."

Yumi digested the older girl's words as Youko purchased two warm milks and a strawberry juice box. _I know that if anything were to happen that I can count on Yuuki and my parents._ By this Yumi knew that yes, she could always count upon her family. She hadn't really thought otherwise, however it was also one of those scenarios that you typically never think about. Most people just automatically assume that they can count on their family. Yumi also understood that the world didn't work that way and that she was fortunate to have the family that she did.

"Few families are perfect," Youko continued as she turned away from the counter carrying her purchases and moved off to a vacant table. "Even the ones that look perfect on the outside seldom are. While we most certainly can't pick our family," Youko said with a grin at the younger girl, "we can pick of friends."

"And our Sœur's," Yumi added for her believing she now understood where the conversation was heading. _This has to do with Sachiko-sama_ , she thought to herself. _Youko-sama is graduating and is worried about her Petite Sœur._

Youko motioned for her to take a seat at the table and then seated herself across from her. "Yes, and we can choose our Sœur's," Youko echoed her words agreeing with her. "Though that is almost like picking your family," she added with a grin. "You're a very perceptive girl, Yumi-chan. I like that about you," Youko complimented the younger girl causing Yumi to blush slightly. "Will Yumi take a little sister then?"

"WHAH!" Yumi exclaimed completely surprised by the question. _I thought this was going to be a talk about me becoming Sachiko-sama's Petite Sœur, not me having a Petite Sœur!_

"Sei is right," Youko said with another grin, "Your face is very entertaining!" Yumi blushed and hung her head in embarrassment. "But in a good way," the older girl quickly clarified. "I think Yumi-chan will make someone a wonderful Onee-sama someday. Whoever your Petite Sœur will be, she is a very lucky girl!"

"Youko-sama why are you telling me this," Yumi finally managed to ask once her cheeks had cooled off somewhat.

"Sachiko doesn't have a little sister for me to spoil and pass on advice to and Yumi-chan doesn't have an Onee-sama," Youko replied in a serious tone as if that explained it all…which is sort of did, "but we do have one thing in common. Do you know what that is?"

Yumi pondered her question for a long moment before it came to her. "Sachiko-sama," she finally offered as an answer.

The dark haired girl smiled and nodded at Yumi's words. "So," Youko said passing a milk bottle to Yumi who had to shift it from hand to hand due to it being overly hot to the touch. "Is Sachiko your friend?" Youko asked bluntly. Yumi thought about the raven haired beauty and knew that she was more than just some friend. Yumi couldn't help it as her cheeks turned a shade of pink. "I see," Youko continued in the same serious tone she had used before. "So more than a friend. Do you like her?" Yumi nodded, her cheeks turning bright red, forcing her to drop her gaze into her lap. "I see. Then I can graduate tomorrow," Youko said surprising the girl sitting across from her. "Sachiko is my very precious little sister," the elder of the two started to explain seeing the confusion and surprise upon Yumi's face. "She is friend and family and I love her dearly. If I know that Sachiko has you for a friend and that you'll do everything you can to support her as a friend then I know she is in good hands."

"But Sachiko-sama hasn't picked her Petite Sœur yet," Yumi stated in a questioning tone.

Youko looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "That is true but there will be new students come next month and hopefully she will find the correct one then." The older girl spoke of the new first year students that would be starting in April. "When that happens I'll be counting on you and Sachiko's Petite Sœur to look after my little sister."

"I'll do what I can for her," Yumi stated firmly knowing she meant each word. "I won't let you or her down!"

Youko smiled gently at the younger girl. "I know you won't Yumi-chan. That's one of your most extraordinary qualities," she replied. "You'll do whatever it takes for those that mean the most to you. Now," the dark haired Rosa Chinensis said sternly, "drink your milk."

"It's still too hot," Yumi replied touching the glass container and feeling the heat there.

"Here," Youko said punching a hole in the juice box and pouring a good portion into each of their milks. "That should cool it off." Without out another word she drank half of the now pink milk. Yumi quickly follow suit and drank as well. "I've always wondered if that would taste good or not," Youko stated after drinking.

Both girls looked at each other and in unison said ' _It doesn't!_ ' before giggling together.

"I see so this is something Rosa Chinensis wanted to try before graduating," Yumi stated more than asked. _After tomorrow she won't have the chance to do this so she wanted to do it before she graduated._ Yumi couldn't help but feel special that Youko-sama had chosen to share this with her.

"Yes," Youko confirmed. "Sometimes you never know about something till you try it," she explained shooting Yumi as direct look as if to imply there was some hidden meaning to her words for the younger girl to decode. "Come on, I'll walk you back to class and explain why you're late to the teacher," she offered. The two stood and, after placing the remainder of their drinks in the appropriate waste receptacles, they left the building heading back towards Yumi's classroom. "I know Sachiko can be less than endearing as well as withdrawn, ill-tempered and downright stubborn, but she is my one and only little sister. Do take care of her for me Yumi-chan."

The two walked in silence for several minutes. "Rosa Chinensis," Yumi said thoughtfully, proceeding upon hearing a questioning murmur from the girl next to her. "I know that Sachiko-sama can be all of those things, but I think..." Yumi struggled to express what she was feeling and trying to convey those complicated feelings to the dark hair girl next to her in words that made sense. "I think all of her habits, the good one as well as the ones that are not so good…all of them...are endearing. They all make Sachiko-sama…Sachiko-sama." Try as she might she just couldn't find a better way to explain it. _I wouldn't have Sachiko-sama any other way_ , Yumi thought to herself.

Youko stopped and hugged Yumi tightly for a long moment. Yumi, while confused by the spontaneous hugging, felt warm and protected within the older girls arms and suddenly found herself missing Sachiko and the times the heiress had hugged her like this. "Arigato," Youko whispered emotionally into the smaller girl's ear before letting a very confused Yumi go and escorting her back to class without another word. Yumi knew she was going to miss the Rosa Chinensis after tomorrow.

**-oOo-**

Yumi ran her hand along the smooth surface of the desk, her fingertips catching the subtle divots and impression upon the aged wooden surface. Tomorrow was graduation day and then the third year students would be gone, including the Lady Roses. It wasn't hard for Yumi to come to the conclusion that Sachiko-sama was going to be missing her Onee-sama. Thinking of the second year student is what had brought her to this classroom and the very desk Sachiko sat at in class. _How can I help you Sachiko-sama_ , Yumi wondered to herself. _In a years' time Sachiko-sama will graduate as well. What will I do then?_ Yumi sighed heavily at the depressing thought as her hand paused upon the desktop surface.

"You know she hasn't left yet," a familiar voice inserted into her thoughts from the doorway behind her.

"No," Yumi agreed running her hand almost tenderly across the desktop once more. "Unlike you, she still has another year but a time will come when I have to bid her goodbye just as I have to do to you, Rosa Gigantea," Yumi said turning to face the older girl who was leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Hello's, goodbyes, they come in pairs and to accept the first you must sooner or later accept the later," Sei said as she stepped into the room sliding the door closed behind her. "You can't have one without the other," she added with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I have a lot of memories of here," Sei said as she walked over to Yumi and jumped up to sit on the desk in front of the one Yumi's hand rested upon. "Some of them are not so good and others are wonderful. I've laughed and cried in these building," the older girl told Yumi looking around as if she was sitting in her own classroom. "I've made wonderful friends in Eriko and Youko as well as Rei, Sachiko, Shimako and Yoshino, all who I will miss after tomorrow," she confessed. Yumi couldn't help but feel a little crestfallen as her own name was not mentioned with the others. Sei-sama and she had talked often and Yumi felt they had formed a special friendship but now she wasn't so certain that the older girl felt the same way. _I must have just been a bother to her._ "However the one person I shall miss the most is Yumi-chan." Yumi's sharp intake of breath and the startled look towards the graduating student made Sei smile as she watched the warring emotions that played across the younger girls face. "I shall miss your many life phases," Rosa Gigantea added with a wide grin as she reached out and caressed Yumi's cheek softly for a moment before pulling her hand away once more.

"I think you shall miss teasing me," Yumi fired back, unperturbed by the older girl's words for the first time ever. "You'll have to find someone else to provide you with entertainment."

"So," Sei said sighing dramatically as she slid off the desk, "Yumi-chan won't miss me at all then?"

Yumi tapped her chin with an index finger as if deep in thought. "Let me think. No one will be jumping out at me to spontaneous hug me or make fun of the faces I make while thinking. No, nothing there to miss," she said outwardly as she felt her eyes well up with tears. _Rosa Gigantea has always been there for me. Whenever I needed someone to talk to she has allowed me to lean upon her shoulder. What am I going to do without her?_ Yumi turned and fell into the waiting arms of the older girl beside her. "Of course I'm going to miss you! How will I ever manage without Rosa Gigantea here to help me?"

Sei rested her cheek against the top of Yumi's head and held her close. "To hear you say that warms my heart, Yumi-chan," she finally said in a soft voice truly touched by the younger girl's admission. "I'm going to miss you," she said as she felt Yumi's arms tighten around her. "I think you will do just fine with or without me, Yumi-chan."

"I don't believe you," Yumi mumbled back burying her face into the chest of the older girl.

Sei tightened her arms around Yumi though even she wasn't certain if it was possessively or protectively, or what the difference was at the moment. "You've changed a great deal from the insecure awkward girl that first appeared before the Roses last fall. You've made some very difficult choices and have stood by them with a resolve and determination that inspired me," Sei confided causing Yumi to look up in question. "Watching you," Sei continued with as she leaned her head back some and raised a hand to wipe away the tears from Yumi's face, "made me want to be a better person. Before I met you I didn't have much interest in other students or even school itself. Because of Yumi-chan I decided to do my best so I could enter the university I wanted to go to."

"I…I don't understand," Yumi stammered, confused by the other girls words and uncertain just how she could have caused someone like Rosa Gigantea to want to do better.

"I never wanted to be normal but rather someone that always stood out. I did everything I could not to be a normal girl. Seeing just how beautiful Yumi-chan was being normal and how innocent and pure you are made me want to be like you, to be normal. Yumi-chan shines brightly even though you may not see it," Sei said seeing the confusion on the younger girls face. "It's alright if you don't understand, Yumi-chan," Sei said tapping the tip of Yumi's nose with one index finger. "Arigato for just being Yumi-chan."

"Rosa Gigantea," Yumi said unable to fathom the meaning behind the other girls words. _How can I be anything other than myself?_ "Rosa Gigantea, is there anything I can do for you before you…well…before you graduate? Something you've always wanted to do but haven't yet," Yumi inquired suddenly thinking of Youko-sama and the strawberry milk they had shared earlier.

"You can do for me..." Sei echoed back the younger girl's words as she stared into the large earnest brown eyes regarding her intently.

"Yes! Anything at all," Yumi reiterated nodding her head in confirmation.

"Well," the Rosa Gigantea said raising one index finger as it to tap her chin with it however the fingertip bypassed her chin and touched her pink lips instead. "A kiss on the lips from Yumi-chan would be a wonderful parting gift," she said with a mischievous sparkle in her eye.

Yumi stood frozen for a long moment as she regarded the older girl before her. Her brown eyes took in the western features, committing each and every curve to memory. _I may never see her again_ , Yumi thought to herself causing her heart to ache. "A…alright," she finally said in a soft whisper of a voice. Before she could change her mind the smaller girl stepped forward and leaned in bring her lips towards the older girls as she raised herself up on her toes to reach. At the last possible moment Sei turned her head so that the kiss landed on her cheek very close to the mouth. Yumi drew back, a puzzled expression on her face at the actions of the other girl.

"I think we should save your first kiss for someone more special than me," Sei said softly, her lips close enough to Yumi's face that the younger girl felt her breath brush gently across her cheek. "Perhaps someone with a different eye color and raven hair?" Sei added with a knowing grin. Yumi's cheeks blushed a deep shade of red and she turned to flee but was caught within a few steps by the older girl who hugged her from behind as she had countless times before when she surprised her. Yumi was at a loss to determine how Rosa Gigantea could possibly know she had never had her first kiss yet. "I'm not yet ready to let Yumi-chan go," Sei said into Yumi's ear as she held her tightly. "That's why I'm going to Lillian's Girls University."

Yumi's heart jumped upon hearing this. _Sei-sama will be on the same campus as me still!_ While she understood that they would not see each other as often as they had, just knowing she was close by was comforting. "Why," Yumi asked in a soft tone as she leaned back into the hug, feeling once again safe and protected just as she had when Youko-sama had hugged her earlier that day.

"I love you. I want to go to Lillian for as long as Yumi-chan is here," Sei replied honestly. Yumi knew the love Sei spoke of was not the amorous type nor was it the type that was between Sœur's. It was different and yet just as strong and deep as either of those. Love could take many forms and be as varied as the people it was given to or that it came from. Rosa Gigantea held a special place in Yumi's heart and due to this they both knew without having to say it that the love Sei felt was reciprocated in kind from the younger of the pair. Yumi felt the arms around her move till Sei's hands rested upon her back and with a gentle shove Sei sent Yumi off into the world without her. Yumi looked back at the older girl for a long moment, the love she felt for her shone clearly in her brown eyes. Yumi understood that while the other girl was on the same campus that she would now have to find her own way and stand on her own, but should things become too difficult, there would always be a waiting pair of arms to shelter her and offer a reprieve from all that troubled her. Yumi turned and opening the door walked out of the classroom and down the hallway, smiling through her tears.

**-oOo-**

The ceremony was over and the Roses had graduated, ending this part of their lives. Sachiko-sama hadn't held up well under the emotional strain of her Onee-sama graduating and started crying during her farewell address. Yumi instinctively wanted to run up onto the stage and comfort and support her but was afraid she might embarrass the older girl. While she was frozen with indecisiveness partway out of her chair, Rei-sama had risen and rescued her fellow classmate. Never had Rei-sama seemed more like the gallant Prince in Yumi's eyes then at that moment.

"Yumi-chan we missed you at the party yesterday," Eriko said walking up to the younger girl where she stood off to one side. Tsutako was busy taking everyone pictures by the statue of Maria-sama and Yumi had reluctantly agreed to come as well and be included. While she had argued against it the Roses had insisted stating that she had been, even if only for a short time, a member of the Yamayurikai and hence should be included in the group photograph. In the end she just didn't have the heart to deny the graduating Roses what amounted to their final request of her.

"Congratulations of your graduation, Rosa Foetida," Yumi replied with a warm smile.

"Arigato," the older girl replied with a smile as Rei and Yoshino walked over to join them. Yoshino informed Yumi that Youko-sama wanted a picture with her, so Yumi excused herself and walked over. Once they were positioned, Rosa Chinensis called Sachiko over so that the picture contained all three of them with Youko in the middle. As soon as the picture was snapped, Sei jumped in landing on Yumi's back and causing everyone to laugh at the spontaneous hugging. Yumi distinctly heard the click of Tsutako's camera through it all.

Before anyone was ready, all the pictures had been taken and promises to meet up again soon were exchanged. With a final farewell, the three Roses turned away and walked down the gingko lined path together for the last time, their futures shining brightly before them. Yumi, standing next to Sachiko-sama, reached out and captured the older girls little finger in her own while watching the receding backs of the graduated Roses. Yumi felt the older girl's finger tighten around hers as they each drew strength from the others presence. Once the Roses were out of sight Rei and Yoshino said their farewells, leaving for home together. Shimako also left as she had a club meeting to attend as yet, and Tsutako offered to walk with her as she wanted to return to the clubhouse building to check on the pictures she had just taken.

"Well," Sachiko said as Tsutako and Shimako walked away, "It would appear as it is just the two of us," she said smiling down to the girl next to her whose warm finger was still held firmly within her own.

"It would appear so," Yumi replied smiling up at Sachiko. "Shall we go collect our stuff?" Yumi asked as she knew the older girls coat and school bag were at the Rose Mansion as she had seen them there when she had dropped hers off earlier.

Sachiko nodded and the two walked off towards the Rose Mansion side by side with their joined fingers swaying back and forth slightly between the both of them. _Onee-sama gave such a beautiful speech today_ , Sachiko reminisced about the events earlier that day. _She's really graduated._ It all seemed surreal to her. _I always knew this day would come but I thought I would be better prepared for it._ Sapphire eyes stared quietly at the ground as the two of them walked along. _Graduation arrived quicker than I thought it would,_ she confessed to herself. _Now I'm all alone._

Yumi could well imagine the thoughts running through Sachiko's mind and she was content to allow her time to reflect. Sachiko-sama must be sad with Youko-sama graduating and leaving for a college other than Lillian's. Unlike Sei-sama, Youko was going to a college that wasn't close by. Gently she gave the finger in hers a reassuring squeeze and was rewarded with an appreciative smile from the girl walking next to her. _I wish there was something I could do for her!_

_How will I ever manage this? I'm not ready to be Rosa Chinensis!_ Suddenly Sachiko felt her finger squeezed gently as if to remind her that she wasn't alone. Sapphire eyes turned and regarded Yumi for a long moment before she smiled appreciatively, thankful for the younger girl's presence at her side. Sachiko's free hand slipped into her pocket, her fingers brushing softly against the metallic rosary there. _I wonder if she would accept it if I offered it to her?_ It had been many months since the rosary in question had sat securely around Yumi's neck. _If Yumi is by my side as my Petite Sœur once more I'm certain I can face just about anything._ Sachiko unconsciously ran the beads of the rosary through her finger tips almost as if she were using them for prayer.

Upon reaching the Rose mansion they released each other's fingers and walked upstairs and through the biscuit-colored door. "Would you like some tea Sachiko-sama," Yumi offered uncertain if the older girl had someplace to be or not.

"Only if you'll stay and have some with me," Sachiko responded with as she slipped into her accustomed chair at the table.

"There's no place I would rather be," Yumi said as she turned towards the kitchenette area and so she missed Sachiko smile upon hearing her words. Yumi switched on the kettle which was already warm from previous use apparently. Reaching into the cupboard she took down two saucers and two cups as well as the tea which she then spooned into the waiting cups. While Yumi worked to prepare the tea she chattered on about the third year send-off the day before and the different events and all the hard work that went into it by everyone, not just the Yamayurikai of course. "I'm certain everyone will remember it for a long time to come," Yumi said turning around with a saucer and cup of tea in each hand only to see Sachiko staring at the empty chair to her left.

_That's Onee-sama's chair. It's like this is all a dream._ Sachiko recalled the previous near two years she had sat here next to her Onee-sama and learned what it was to be a Rose. _I still have so much to learn_ , she silently admitted to herself feeling inadequate for the task at hand. Sachiko suddenly recalled something that her Onee-sama had told her early on. _'No matter what you may think of me Sachiko, I can't do everything on my own. I need you beside me to support me. That's what Petite Sœur's do, they support their Onee-sama's'_. Sachiko couldn't help but wonder if she had been a good Petite Sœur to her Onee-sama or not. Thinking back on the number of times she had let her temper get the better of her or that she had been stubborn over some small inconsequential detail, she wasn't certain she had been a good Petite Sœur at all. _How did you ever put up with me Onee-sama_ , she wondered not for the first time. In her mind she could hear perfectly her Onee-sama's answer ' _Because you are my very special little sister'_.

"Rosa Chinensis!" Sachiko blinked several times and rapidly looked around only to realize it was just the two of them. "Gomennasai," Yumi said standing there holding a cup of tea in one hand while the other rested on Sachiko's shoulder. "I said your name several times without a response so I thought…" her words trailed off as she shrugged apologetically to the older girl.

"Arigato," Sachiko said accepting the offered saucer with the cup of hot tea on it. "I don't think I'll ever get used to being called that. Onee-sama is the Rosa Chinensis, not me."

"No," Yumi corrected her, "You are now. You were born to be a Rose, Sachiko-sama," Yumi said reassuringly as she gave Sachiko' shoulder a gentle squeeze before removing her hand and sitting in the seat to Sachiko's right. Yumi took a sip of her own tea not even tasting it. _I never guessed how much Youko-sama graduating would affect her!_ Yumi racked her brain trying to think of something to help the girl she adored. In the end there was only one thing she could think of. _There's only one way I can be by her side and always be here to help her._ Yumi took another sip of her tea pondering if she should ask for the rosary back and if so how or when. As she thought about this an unsettling thought suddenly popped into her mind. _What if she doesn't want me back?_

Sachiko nodded at the younger girl's words, knowing them to be true. _I have to start believing in myself or I'm not worthy of being my Onee-sama's Petite Sœur._ Sachiko took a sip of the tea and regarded Yumi over the rim of the cup. _She always knows just what to say to me and just when to say it. I'm fortunate to have her here beside me._ Once more Sachiko couldn't help but wonder if she were to ask would the younger girl accept her rosary once again. _Would I be asking her because I truly want her next to me or am I doing it for the wrong reasons again?_ Taking another sip of the extremely hot tea, tea made perfectly the way she loved it, she couldn't come to any conclusions which was in and of itself an answer of sorts perhaps. _Am I just lonely now than Onee-sama is gone? Is that why I want to make Yumi my Petite Sœur?_

The two sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts though they were essentially one and the same. Once they finished their tea Yumi washed the utensils and put everything away so no one else would have to clean up after them. As she turned away from the kitchenette she saw Sachiko standing their holding her coat and school bag having already donned her own. "Shall we go?" Sachiko asked with a smile holding out the coat to her.

Yumi quickly put her coat on and then followed Sachiko from the room, being certain to turn off the lights as they left. The two of them walked side by side down the stairs and out the door securing it behind them. As they walked along the path Yumi, who had been wrestling with her own inner thoughts, finally came to a decision. _If she offers me her rosary I'll accept it. There's no place I'd rather be than right here by her side. I no longer care about the reasons. If she'll have me that is._

"Yumi," the older girl said. Yumi's heart raced as she knew what was coming and anxiously awaited the offer to accept it. "I can't begin to thank you enough for being here. I don't think I would have made it through this without you by my side." They both stopped in front of the statue of Maria-sama and turned to face it.

"That's what friends are for," Yumi replied without thinking. "I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't support you when you needed me most. I'll always be here if you need me, Sachiko-sama." Yumi clasped her hands in prayer. _Maria-sama, please let Sachiko-sama offer me her rosary again so I can always be by her side to help her! Please let me be her little sister once more!_

"Is that so," the older girl said thoughtfully as she clasped her hands together to pray. _Friends._ Sachiko had few friends outside of the Yamayurikai due to her social standing. _A friend will always accept you for who you are._ Early on she had discovered that due to being wealthy and from an influential family people would pretend to be friends to advance their own goals and agendas. It didn't take her long, even at a young age, to learn not to trust others too readily. _They know both your good as well as your bad traits and still accept you and support you for whom you are._ Now that she thought about it, other than the members of the Yamayurikai and some girls she grew up with who lived by her family's summer house, she really didn't have any close friends. _Yumi said she's my friend_ , she pondered this as she stood there with her hands together. _I know I can trust, Yumi!_ _Maria-sama please let Yumi and I always remain friends_ , she prayed with all her heart. _She doesn't need to be my Petite Sœur to always be in my life_ , Sachiko reasoned as hope blossomed within her heart having found a way to keep Yumi, who didn't want to be her little sister, in her life.

Yumi opened her eyes to see the other girl waiting for her with a contented smile on her face. "If we don't hurry we'll miss the bus," Sachiko said turning away and missing the confused look that appeared on Yumi's face. "Coming Yumi," Sachiko said over her should noticing that the younger girl hadn't fallen into step beside her. Yumi blinked several times uncertain of what had just happened but having the feeling that she had been rejected even though nothing had been said. _I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up I guess_ , she chastised herself silently as she quickly caught up to the older girl. Sachiko reached out and took Yumi's hand in hers startling the younger girl from her thoughts with the boldness of her actions. "Yumi," Sachiko said turning to look at the smaller girl whose hand she held onto tightly, "Promise me we'll always be friends."

_I wanted to be by her side to help her. I may not be able to be her Petite Sœur,_ Yumi thought to herself, _but being her friend can be just as wonderful I think. Sachiko-sama still needs me._ Yumi looked up at the girl holding her hand as she felt her heart swell with love for her former Onee-sama. Yumi shifted her hand and entwined her fingers with Sachiko's before clasping their hands together tightly once more. "The best of friends," she confirmed with a radiant smile as the two of them walked down the gingko tree-lined walkway and through the main gates of Lillian's Girls Academy. _Side by side, hand in hand, that's how we'll face life from now on_ , Yumi thought with a warm smile. Happily ever after's were only in fairy tales or so she had thought till today.


End file.
